#five: why can't i just bathe in the river

[ooffmlsorry]

OP Men Dating a "Girly Girl"

A/N: sorry this took so long and I haven't posted anything original in a minute my life is mess and I'm so very tired jfc...I know this isn't more than my usual group but I was just gonna stop at Luffy and then decided to add Ace and Sabo as a thank you because writing these and putting them on Tumblr has been really good for me, so thank you for always being here to indulge me 🥲 ❤️

Sanji, Zoro, Law, Luffy, Ace, Sabo

Sanji

Let's be honest, girly-girls drive Sanji craaaazzzzyy (not that all women don't, but he's definitely more partial to the feminine ones) Your make-up, pretty skirts and dresses, jewelry, and manicure, he can't help fawn over you constantly 😍Although you do it because you enjoy it, it's nice that your efforts are so appreciated!!

He spoils you soooo baaaddd!! He literally can't help himself when he sees something pretty or cute that reminds him of you, he has to get it for you. You're drowning in squishmallows at this point.

A river of blood shoots from him every time you show off a new outfit. You're going to kill him and he'll thank you for it.

Dressing up in nice outfits together, especially on date night, is a shared activity that you love to do together. Y'all are living your best happily ever after lives.

Ya'll definitely have scheduled self-care nights. You put on some slow music, open a bottle of wine, draw a bubble bath, all that.

He's utterly useless when it comes to helping you pick your outfits or makeup if you're stuck because he loves you in everything, it's too hard for him to pick. You're his perfect, beautiful Y/N-swaaaaan 😍💖💖✨

He does love to see you in pink or red though so he might default to those colors

Don't try to test your makeup on him lol, you're going to re-awaken the gender identity crisis...I mean Kamabakka trauma

Listen...I'm not saying Sanji has a mommy kink...I'm not even at Whole Cake Island so idk wtf is going on there. All I'm saying is if you give this man a bath, wrap him in a towel to dry him off, and rub him down with luxurious lotions and oils, you might awaken something...that's all...👀

ZORO

He has no clue wtf you're doing. If it weren't for the fact that there's no proof that witches exist in this world, he'd think you are one

He looks at your vanity full of serums, creams, scrubs, lotions, etc, not to mention the makeup and he's like "??????" Just completely baffled

But what do you expect? This man would use that five-in-one Irish Spring soap if he could.

Just because he doesn't understand it doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate and admire the fact that you have extensive knowledge in something he can't even comprehend

He knows you like nice shiny things, and again, while he doesn't get it, he does think it's really, really cute when you go starry-eyed over a necklace or an outfit in a store.

In the same vein, he knows how much you love cute things and animals. He has absolutely found a cute animal in the jungle, picked it up, and brought it to you just to show you because he knew you'd love it.

Sometimes in his own gruff way he'll agree with you that it's pretty cute. Thank you for helping this manly man admit things are cute and that's okay.

Other times, he's the one making sure you don't get distracted because it's so cute

Unfortunately and fortunately, you're pretty to him no matter what you do to yourself so it's all kind of a moot point to him.

You can try to ask him about which 'x' to wear, sometimes it's helpful because he'll throw out a really practical answer and then other times he's like "How 'bout you just go naked" 😏.

He'll wear a face mask with you like...twice a year. And he's going to bitch and moan about it but he does it because he loves you. The entire process is like trying to give a cat a bath "WHY IS IT SO COLD? THIS STAYS ON MY FACE FOR HOW LONG???"

Exfoliate this man at your own risk...I'm dead serious that water is going to be brown

LAW

I need you to know right now this man will let you paint his nails!!! I mean, not like gel or acrylics or anything, but he'll let you paint them any color as long as it's a dark shade of that color. You once designed Bepo on his middle fingers. He did in fact flip people off a lot more often when he had them.

Let's you wear a pastel boiler suit because you he loves you and wants to see you happy

Much like Zoro, he's got no clue what you're doing. He'll stand back and watch you while making the exact same face as the gif above.

He thinks he's being stealthy peaking around a corner to watch your morning or night routine, but you quickly catch on. Please please pleeaaassee ask him if he has any questions because he does. He's just really curious why you're doing what you're doing and what it does. It's basically skin medicine and he's really fascinated.

Knowing that you like shiny things makes his life admittedly a little easier, it's not that he doesn't think of what to gift you, he puts A LOT of thought into what he gives you, but knowing that earrings, necklaces, and bracelets always make you happy is great just in case of analysis paralysis or he forgets. Sorry.

Also you wearing the jewelry he gets you does something to him, especially a necklace he can pull on a little, mmhhm you're making this man struggle with impure thoughts.

You both love cute things, it's something y'all connect on. It's really good that you help him access that very neglected inner child of his and encourage him to coo and fawn over adorable animals with zero reservation.

He'll do skincare with you too when he's not super busy. He can admit it's kind of nice to sit in bed with a book, glass of wine, and a face mask and just bask for a minute

He acts like he hates when you rub serums across his face and use a derma roller on him but he loves it

Law doesn't really pay attention to your clothes, but when you really go all out he breaks out in a sweat and he can't keep his eyes off you.

LUFFY

I'm not saying he thinks it's stupid, it just...why have an hours long care routine when you could be going on adventure with him??? 😭😭😭

He will help you pick out your makeup but don't expect it to look good. You're gonna end up with neon orange eyeshadow and green lipstick. Like literally every "My Boyfriend Does My Makeup" youtube video.

Plays around with your stuff but that's because he has no idea what all these strange contraptions are. The moment you try to explain his eyes glaze over and next thing you know he's whisking you away to go do something more fun.

He likes the shiny bright stuff (highlighter), makeup probably is the only part he even remotely engages in because it's

Explain how contour works to this man and watch him lose his fucking mind, he thinks you're a shape shifter now (honestly this applies to all of them except Law and maybe Sanji)

He never notices what you wear, Nami is gonna have smack him on the back of the head to get him to realize you put on something fancy

Luffy points out everything, it just so happens that things he points out sometime happen to be cute animals

Hides in all the stuffed animals and squishmallows in your room to surprise attack hug you

*throws mud at you* "Is this the kind of mud you like, Y/N??" He really means well though.

You know those hair masks with all natural ingredients like honey and banana? Yeah, he's gonna start sucking on your hair like spaghetti...I'm so sorry.

He'll bathe with you but that's because he wants to be close to you, it's definitely not about being pampered or relaxing.

Try to put a face mask on him or something else and it'll just become a game of tag around the Sunny. You can't catch him and he's having a great time outrunning and outwitting you.

He knows this is all important to you so even though he doesn't get it he'd never make fun of you for it and the moment someone calls you "extra," he's kicking their ass.

ACE

Maybe all the glam is a little silly to him but that just makes you extra cute!

He will also absolutely let you paint his nails. Hell, he'll let you do a full beat on him just for fun and he'll wear it for the whole day because he's so unserious lol

...As long as he gets to do your makeup after...Much like Luffy you're gonna be covered in neon colors that don't even remotely match, but you guys have a great time lol

Admittedly likes to be pampered by you when he gets back from a long mission.

Please take a bubble bath with this man, it's not like the water is ever going to get cold!

I'm pretty sure you'd legitimately lead to Ace taking better care of himself. Got this man out here talking about his cuticles and shit lol

Honestly, it's really good for him because self care leads to self love and Ace needs a lot of help with that.

He tells Pops about all the stuff you do 1.) because he loves you and 2.) he hopes some of it will help Whitebeard heal a little, god bless him 😢

All of your hardwork doesn't go unnoticed, he legitimately gets kind of misty eyed when you really dress up because he's so so so lucky. He swears he doesn't deserve you.

He always brings back some kind of gift even whether it's a cute plushie or something exotic to wear from all of his long travels

I need to stress how much this means to him, everyone of these things is like a little proposal because he already knows you're it. Every little gift is leading up to a ring from this man.

He's also just genuinely impressed by the skill it takes to do your makeup so well, especially after he tries doing it on you

Much like his little brother unfortunately, he does play with all the little contraptions in your vanity, especially in the beginning because have you seen an eyelash curler? He's so confused lol

SABO

Sabo and Ace truly are his brothers because he really don't get all the effort lol

Admittedly, a lot of that is because he thinks you're so hot already what's the point???

Once he gets this is just how you are he's less confused, he's probably the most normal out everyone. He lets you do your thing, although he's really curious how you managed to always look amazing while being in the fucking revolutionary army!!?? Where are you getting the time???

If someone were to intrude on y'all on a free afternoon you're both in fluffy robes with face masks on and Sabo loves to pretend to act like a bitch when he's in selfcare mode with you lol

"Are you seriously bothering us right now, ugh! I can't even right now!!" And then you both break out in laughter

He really thinks you should teach others how to contour and do makeup because it has great applications for disguises and infiltration.

And brags about your skills to everyone

Wonders how many of your makeup supplies could actively be used as a weapon *eye roll* jfc Sabo

There's a part of you that secretly worries all your boujieness will remind him of his blood relatives, but he assures you that it doesn't because you have a good heart and he never doubts that

Besides, being a little extra with him helps him associate those things he used to associate with his blood relatives with you instead so it's even better

He spoils you so bad, but with a Sabo-flair, ie. stealing from shitty people and bringing it back to you because you're oh so more deserving of nice things let's be honest

He gets jealous of the cute animals that you squeal over hehehe, please hug him when he starts pouting

He'll always wear a little pink just for you ❤️

#one piece #one piece x reader #one piece x reader headcanon #luffy x reader #law x reader #sanji x reader #zoro x reader #ace x reader #sabo x reader

[helium-rambles]

Coffee Perfumes

Ever since I got into perfume, I have dreamed about smelling like black coffee. Not to spoil the review, but that dream has not come true. Nonetheless, here's all the fragrances I've tried that I've been told smell like black coffee (in alphabetical order by brand)

Alkemia's Caffaeum (five year aged black amber, Arabian coffee, labdanum, benzoin) This smells very perfume-y to me. If I smelt this on someone else, I would think it was a mainstream spray instead of an indie oil. It doesn't trigger migraines for me, but it's still not pleasant. Vaguely cough-syrup like. Other reviewers have said this scent is mostly amber, and amber rarely agrees with me, so that's probably why I don't like it. I understand in a vague way where this might smell like coffee. There's a richness to it that imitates coffee, but it doesn't work for me.

Bath Sabbath's Cupajoe (Freshly brewed coffee with hints of vanilla and cream) This one is nutty. If you drink primarily nutty coffee, this will probably smell like coffee to you. The vanilla adds some sweetness, but not enough to completely distract from the "coffee" scent. Alas, this doesn't work as a coffee scent to me, but I get where some people interpret coffee.

Haus of Gloi's Coffee Haus (coffee, chocolate, caramel, almond) People rave about this being the ideal black coffee scent. "You can't even smell the chocolate and other notes" they say. I think the people who say this have never smelt coffee before. This is straight up chocolate. Like, it's semi-sweet chocolate so I think people are tricked into thinking it's coffee by the fact that it's darker than milk chocolate. But as a lover of coffee and dark chocolate, I'm not buying it.

(Special note!!! After everyone in my household had thoroughly denounced this perfume as pure chocolate, we received a free sample of Frederick's brand cold coffee. We were convinced it was a mocha that they forgot to put the coffee into, but the ingredients list only coffee beans and water so....if you drink Frederick's brand coffee, I guess Coffee Haus does smell like coffee?!?! Still, I cannot in good faith recommend this as a coffee scent.)

Osmofolia's Cold Brew (ice, coffee beans, espresso) My reaction to this can be summed up as: What the fuck. People swear this smells like straight coffee and I would like to know what drugs they are on. This is floral and fruity, with maybe a hint of musk. It's a pretty nice actually, just not what I wanted at all. I thought maybe I was just having a weird reaction to this perfume because it is SO FAR OFF from coffee. Then my housemate tried it and also was like, "Oh, this is a nice fruity-floral scent. What's in it :) ... COfFEE?!?!?!?!?" So I thought perhaps they scent me the wrong sample. However, after trying another one of their perfumes with coffee as a side note, I'm pretty sure it's just this house's coffee.

Poesie's Whisper Your Bitter Things (coffee beans, clove, cinnamon, jasmine, neroli, vanilla bean) Okay, I can't give a good review of this perfume, because I seem to be anosmic to most of Poesie's notes. This smells like nothing for the first 20 minutes, then suddenly hits you with a blast of citrusy florals. My housemate can smell it from the beginning, but still smells no coffee. They do get the spices and florals, though. So, depending on whether you can smell this or not, it may or may not smell like black coffee. Who knows.

Possets Hophead (coffee and five ambers) This is fruity amber. No coffee, but like Caffaeum, I get where people can mistake the richness of amber into a coffee scent. It's basically the same scent as Caffaeum without the off-putting perfumey-ness.

Red River Apothecary's Raktajino (roasted espresso and sweet marshmallow fluff) You have no idea how sad I am this didn't work for me. Not only was it the last on my list to try, but it being named after a Star Trek drink made my inner nerd very happy. Alas, that marshmallow is soooo sweet. I do get the coffee underneath. It's nutty coffee, similar to Cupajoe, but deeper. I would possibly accept this as a coffee scent if it weren't for that dreadful marshmallow :(

Samar's Buzzworthy (Espresso, dark cocoa, vanilla cream, hazelnut) I get a powdery-chocolate from this. It reminds me of this coffee-scented chapstick one of my friends had in high school. Needless to say, that chapstick did not smell like coffee. My housemate gets an overwhelming amount of powdery vanilla. It's very reminiscent of marshmallows to them.

In conclusion: I will not be smelling like coffee any time soon :(

#perfume rambles #coffee #i will probably post another review of all the coffee scent i have that *weren't* advertised to me as black coffee #there is no coffee in them either #i am very tempted to get into perfumery just so i can make a good black coffee scent

[sencire]

Missing her

It’s been five minutes. Five minutes of watching the long hand travel around the clock. Five times. Clarke blinks and pries her eyes away from the wall, to rest them on her folded hands in her lap. Alright.

“You can do this,” she mutters to herself. “Easy.”

She stares at the white marks on the back of her hands for a moment when she unclasps her hands to put them flat on her thighs.

“No biggie. She’ll be back tomorrow. I’m going to…” Clarke falls silent. When did she start talking to herself? Eat. She needs to eat. Food. She’s going to have some food. Lexa made something, she’d told her, specially for her night alone. It looks delicious, whatever it is, and Clarke eats it cold, straight from the container, and dumps it in the sink when she’s done. What now?

She slowly makes her way back into the living room and flops down on the couch. Her eyes wander back to the clock. 17 minutes. Oh god. Something hurts in her chest, something huge and cold and empty and it brings tears to her eyes. What the hell? She reaches for her phone. Just a quick message.

I miss you.

She types, deletes.

Thinking of you.

Delete.

Why aren’t you here with me???

???????

Delete, delete, delete.

She tosses the phone into the corner of the couch, throws herself down in the other and pulls up her legs. 22 minutes.

She lets the tears flow. They’re always together. Have been for weeks. Every night. And it was only last week that Lexa said the words Clarke had longed to hear for…weeks. Months. Forever, it seemed. The relief is still palpable. She sighs, dramatically, into a pillow. She’s being ridiculous and very aware of it but still, she misses Lexa so much that it makes her stomach clench. Which isn’t such a nice feeling since it’s full of food that would have fed four. She sits up a bit too suddenly and burps. Fuck.

Clarke reaches for her cell phone again to open Spotify and her library, scrolling through the playlists. Mellow…sad…slow…classical…she wants none of it. The app suggests something called “Happy Pop” – which isn’t normally her taste, but Clarke selects it anyway and turns it up. The first song almost makes her smile, the second manages it until she stops to listen to the lyrics.

I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust

How on earth is that a happy song? Clarke pulls up the photo album on her phone. There’s a folder titled “Lexa”. Smiling Lexa. Sleepy Lexa. Lexa in the kitchen. Lexa by the river. Lexa and Clarke grinning like idiots. She remembers that one. Taken only a few days ago on the very couch she’s sitting on. After their innocent cuddling had turned into something a little more daring. Lips kiss-swollen, eyes deep and gleaming, both ruffled and happy. So happy. So very…exactly like she isn’t feeling right now. Clarke wipes at her face angrily, catching a tear that rolled out of her eye. Lexa wore the same top when she left earlier.

42.

Alright. She’s got this.

Five minutes later, Clarke is in the bathroom. Music is blaring from all available speakers and boy, let the neighbors come if they dare. Lexa loves that she has a bathtub and because Lexa loves it, Clarke got her some nice fragrant bubble baths. Because Lexa loves bubbles too. Clarke loves Lexa and she can’t stop touching her. She has the softest skin and she smells so good. This bathtub and the bottles arranged around it are part of the reason why.

The water is too hot when she gets it, almost scalding her skin, but it takes away the emptiness she feels. God, you’re pathetic, she thinks, leaning back into the bubbly foam. There’s too much of it and it makes Clarke feel like a kid, but that fits. She’s acting like a sulking child after all. Inhaling deeply, Clarke reaches for a skin oil that sits on the window sill. Apply on dry skin and rub in gently, it says. She pours some into her palm and rubs it on her wet arm. Indian rose and sweet almond and suddenly, Lexa is right there with her.

Minute 31 into the next hour finds Clarke in the bedroom, wrapped in the largest towel she could find, carrying a box of chocolates in one hand and dragging the large pillows from the bed with the other. She takes them into the living room, alight with candles by now. Another trip to the bedroom and she’s dressed in her oldest, most comfortable pair of sweat pants and an oversized sweater. Back in the living room, she drags the seat cushions from the couch, arranges them like a little island in the middle of the room, throws more pillows on. Finally, after a little consideration and a last trip to the bedroom, she adds the duvet.

How dare she? How dare she leave her alone? Clarke huffs as she climbs into her pillow fort of sorts. She’s still being pathetic and she’s being childish and she’s being all the things she thought she would never be because she’s a fucking adult. But she hasn’t been this in love in a while. They’ve allowed the feeling to consume them, she knows that. Spending all this time together as if there is nothing else. There isn’t, not for Clarke. Not right now. She wants Lexa. She wants her here, now, with her.  

Her stomach clenches again, hints of heartburn churning behind her breastbone. Chocolate is really not the best idea, but she shoves two pieces in her mouth anyway and chews.

If she’s going to drown in her sorrow, she might as well do it properly. Clarke laughs bitterly, rightly so, at herself. It’s good that Lexa can’t see her now. That she won’t be back tonight. They talked about this and Clarke told Lexa it would be no problem at all. She was certain, too, that it wouldn’t be. That was before her inner baby took over though and it’s still wailing at the top of its lungs.

Clarke rubs her forehead, then pulls the duvet over her head and the box of chocolates inside. Full throttle misery, here she comes. In the darkness, half suffocating but refusing to let in some air, Clarke closes her eyes. And chews. And thinks of Lexa.

“Babe? Are you in there?”

Clarke groans.

“Clarke?”

“Lexa?” The sound echoes inside her little cave and Clarke throws the duvet off. “Lexa?”

“Babe? What the hell?”

“Lexa! What the fuck? You said you weren’t coming back.”

She’s beautiful, as always. Biting her lip, desperately trying to stifle a grin, and it brings tears to Clarke’s eyes again.

“You were not supposed to see me like this.”

“What have you done?” Lexa drops to her knees next to Clarke, pulling more of the duvet away. “Baby.” She chuckles softly. “You smell like a perfume store.”

“Yeah, uh..”

“You have something...,” Lexa reaches for her face, wipes her thumb along Clarke’s lips and puts it in her mouth, sucking slowly. “Chocolate.”

“Yeah, I had…some.”

“The whole box?” Lexa stares at the empty box next to Clarke.

“Maybe.”

“Clarke.”

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too. That’s why I came back here instead of going to my place. I missed you too, you little idiot. Move over.”

She kisses Clarke softly, making a show of slowly licking more chocolate stains from her lips, then turns over the pillow Clarke used to clean her fingers and pulls her into her arms.

“I’m my own person, you know,” Lexa says softly.

“I know. I am too.”

“Oh, you are,” Lexa confirms, chuckling gently. “You really are. Some kind of person.”

It makes Clarke laugh, for the first time in – she glances at the clock – roughly 4 hours.

“You were not supposed to see me like this,” she admits once more. “I wanted to be all adult for you and I would have made it by tomorrow.”

“You are exactly what I want,” Lexa whispers, pulling the duvet up over both their heads, kissing the last of the emptiness away. “Let’s go to sleep.”

#clexa #clarke x lexa #quick fic as by personal request

[blubushie]

GUYS LISTEN TO ME JUST HEAR ME OUT OK

HES LITERALLY A FUCKING HITMAN. LIKE NO CAP. LET ME EXPLAIN.

HE KILLED SOME GUY YEARS AGO IN AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING. PROBABLY STABBED HIM AND NOW HES GOT A KNIFE AND BLOOD KINK BECAUSE HE WAS COVERED IN SOME GUYS BLOOD. HE PROBABLY DOES THAT THING YOU SEE IN MOVIES WHERE HITMEN FACE THE SHOWER HEAD AND HANG THEIR HEAD LOW AND THINK ABOUT THEIR LIFE CHOICES. THATS WHY HE DOEST FUCKING SHOWER AND JUST BATHES IN RIVERS AND SHIT.

IT GETS BETTER.

HE LIKES IT. HE LIKES HUNTING PEOPLE. HE STARTED DOING IT FOR MONEY. THE COPS CAUGHT ONTO HIM SO HE WENT BACK TO AUSTRALIA SO THEYD GET OFF HIS TAIL. WHY ELSE WOULD HE RANDOMLY LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL? HES ON THE LAM. HE STILL TAKES JOBS AND HE LIVES IN THE OUTBACK SO THE COPS WONT FIND HIM. HE GOT MISTY AS A GUARD DOG BECAUSE HE PROBABLY HAD A JOB GO WRONG AND NOW PEOPLE WANT HIM DEAD.

HIS PARENTS KNOW AND THATS WHY THEY DISOWNED HIM. HE WEARS A HAT AND SUNGLASSES ALL THE TIME SO NO ONE RECOGNIZES HIS FACE. HE DOESNT STAY AFTER HE HAS SEX IN CASE THEY REMEMBER HIS FACE AND TURN HIM IN.

HE KNOWS ABOUT GUNS AND SHIT BECAUSE HES A FUCKING HITMAN. HE KNOWS ABOUT HOW SNIPERS OPERATE BECAUSE HES A FUCKING SNIPER HITMAN. HE KNOWS ABOUT ALL THAT STUFF ABOUT APRICOTS BECAUSE HES A HITMAN.

THINK ABOUT IT.

"Sometimes I do have specific targets. Sometimes I take bounties." "I've been involved with some rough crowds. I'm damaged as a human being. I've done some bad things to survive. I've done bad things because I wanted to." "How do I look into my father's eyes and expect him not to see the person I've become? How do I hold my mother's hands and expect her not to see the blood on mine?" "I have to sleep with a knife. Usually it's one. If I've had a rough day it becomes two or more." "I can't sleep unless I have my back to something. I always have to face the door, see the door, when I'm in a building. I'm left-handed, so my left hand is always empty. I carry four knives on me at all times, or five if I'm in the bush and you count a machete." "'You have PTSD symptoms on par with a veteran who's seen combat,' she said." "I'm more than the weapon I've made myself to be." "I think I lost my humanity a long time ago."

hes literally fucking hitman

I desperately want to respond to this but I'm holding my tongue.

#blu whos

[babbletaels]

The diggdogg bridge neighbours

Time for more looking at useless details! Come along to Diggdogg bridge!

Right after you steer onto the only road leading towards the desert and Gerudo town, before you step foot on the diggdogg bridge you'll likely see a cluster of five-ish burned down houses built around a big tree. There's usually a fire wizzrobe here, so that's the cause of the state of these houses and the tree isn't doing so well either. There are a few rusty weapons here. The most interesting part about this little village - if you can call it that - is the hidden path down to a little beach!

This lake doesn't seem to have a name but given the name of the bridge I'm sure we can call it diggdogg lake. There are two waterfalls here, one coming from the river of the dead up on the great Plateau and the other coming from the regencia river. There are fish and ducks here and it's quite beautiful! There's no sign of a boat or raft at this beach, however there is a raft by the shrine under the bridges, so that's something at least. The village doesn't have a well, so most likely they did get their water from down here at the beach. I'm going to assume they also fished and bathed here, and it just seems like a really nice place to live.

That's about it.. except there's another cluster of houses on the other side of the road, on top of the hill/mountain.

This "village" is also burnt down by a wizzrobe, and similarly to the other one it is built around a big tree! This village has a few more houses, and a well so they didn't need to go down to the river or the lake in order to get water. Opposite from the tree, there's a laid out path that leads down to two broken old carriages and a shelter, possibly where they kept their horses? If you follow this path you can find your way down the hill, but it's not as clearly laid out. From this hill you have a perfect view over the village down by the lake, but no immediete path to get there.

So what were these villages, and what relation did they have to eachother?

As one village is directly by a road, could it be that this was once a place where travellers could stop to stable their horses, visit a tavern or buy food? The village on top of the hill would be strangely hard to get to for a weary traveller, so what's up with that one? Could this hilltop village actually have been a settlement from where they could keep an eye on the road or the other village, in case there was trouble? Were they the same people, or neighbours? Or were these two villages rivals in some way?

I think a very important thing to note is that they are laid out exactly on opposite sides of the only road leading to gerudo desert. Could it be, that both or one of these villages were once gerudo built villages, made to protect the road, and also functioning as a rest stop for travellers? Or was it the opposite, made by hylians to protect from eventual trouble coming from the gerudo desert? None of the weapons found were of gerudo origin, but the houses were obviously made of wood and not stone like the usual hylian military facilities.

As there is a modern stable very close by, this seems to absolutely still be a well travelled area, and probably was before, but I can't really imagine that many hylians wanting to travel towards the gerudo desert specifically, and the placement of the villages as well as them both being made in a similar way around a tree, it just makes you wonder, who could've lived here and why.

#botw #tloz breath of the wild #breath of the wild #tloz

[in-tua-deep]

Going through ur master list of AUs and celebi incident? For gym leader AU? Please tell me more

okay i definitely tried to asnwer this the day it was asked and then my response was lost in a tragic incident and i lost all motivation but TAKE TWO

so what happened was this: the Umbrella Academy lived pretty isolated in the pokemon au. Like think big spooky manor on the edge of a smallish town, not far away from some really deep and fairly spooky woods populated by all sorts of pokemon. 

Anyway, when the kids were 10 they obviously were like “fucking finally, we can leave and go on our pokemon journey and escape” or at least were prepared to Go Forth and Make Father Proud or whatever. Except Reggie was like “yeah, no y’all aren’t leaving just yet”

To which Five, of course, rebelled pretty spectacularly and threatened to run away

“You’ll come crawling back within a day.” Reginald dismisses, because Five doesn’t have a pokemon and you pretty much have to travel through woods crawling with pokemon and trainers in order to get out of town.

Five says “oh? bet” and runs away anyway, deep into the woods

Does Five run into pokemon? Yeah, of course he does. However, he can also teleport and is a feral child who is ABSOLUTELY willing to wrestle a zigzagoon with his bare hands

and Five camps out in the woods with 0 supplies and 0 preparation and look, pokemon are pretty intelligent, right? They can usually tell the difference between a Child and an Adult of a species. Five is also intelligent, and so he absolutely follows the poochyena to the berry bushes which are edible, and gets himself a good meal out of it. 

Five is stubborn, and determined, and furious, and he’s going to live in the fucking woods if that’s what it takes because to go back is to admit defeat and that is not an option

So he does live in the woods. The pokemon adapt to him being around. He bunks down with bidoof or sleeps in the trees in nests of taillow and has an ongoing rivalry with the family or purrloin over who can find the best berry bushes

and then he meets celebi

Five is smart, but he’s young and he hasn’t exactly been deep diving into myths and legends in what little spare time he has. He doesn’t know about the mythos surrounding celebi, all he knows is this weird little onion fairy is friendly and lives to play tag - so they do. Five teleports around the woods and hides and jumps out and laughs when he manages to tag the little creature

and one day Five and Celebi are playing, and they get ‘home’ and find... nothing. The family of purrloin are gone, the pikipek who plucked twigs out of Five’s hair in the evening has vanished, the pidgey nest is in pieces

and then they hear voices, and Celebi looks at Five and grabs his hand right before they could be discovered and -

They’re in the woods again. Well, they is a strong word. Five opens his eyes, and Celebi is gone. It’s just the woods. Curious and wary faces poke out of the trees and the bushes, but none that he recognizes. A family of ratata are in the hollow that serve as the purrloin’s home. The trees aren’t arranged right. The paths aren’t the same. The woods look different and Five... panicks just a little bit okay

So he runs through the woods and everything looks familiar and also different, he can spot the craggy rocks where the pidove like the make their nests, but the berry bushes aren’t where they should be. The canyon is only half as deep as it should be, and the graveyard of bikes stolen from various trainers is absent

Five does the only thing he thinks he can do: he goes home

Which would be much more significant if there was a home to go to. Five gets to where he’s absolutely sure his village should be, where the manor should be, where his siblings live, and just. Keep finding more woods. He figured he must have taken a wrong turn at the caves, but when he backtracks it’s where it’s supposed to be. He’s in the right location, but the wrong... time

Celebi did this, he is sure of it, and so that’s who he has to find

Except Celebi is nowhere to be found, and Five looks. He trecks through the forest for miles every day, plucking berries from bushes with nimble fingers and curling up in nests of moss at night. The pokemon of this time aren’t especially wary of him and indeed often come chittering up to sniff him and ask him to play. Five wonders if they’ve ever even seen a human before.

(Honestly it seems half the pokemon have decided he’s a weird variation of abra or ralts? demonstrating his teleportation makes one concerned ursaring scoop him up and leave him at the feet of a gardevoir with grunts of diapproval but Five is a strong independent young human who doesn’t need pokemon parents)

Years pass, and Five learns the ebb and flow of the woods even more in depth than he did before. He makes friends, the various pokemon running around and helping him look for Celebi but who also tempt him into playing with them and helping them and just living

(sometimes, Five wonders why he’s even trying to get back. he wonders why when he’s curled up and soft and safe, when he knows in the morning that he’s going to go to the river to play. then he remembers his siblings, who are still stuck with Reggie as far as he knows)

He grows up in the woods with pokemon as parents and siblings, grows taller and older and is very good at mimicry. He hoots softly to the pidgey and barks with the growlithe and dances with the hoppip, learning a million different languages as he runs recklessly between the trees racing electrike to the lake with laughter on his lips

and then he finds Celebi again, on an unremarkable day when he’s challenged quilava to a game of hide and seek tag

and Celebi extends their hands to him

“I haven’t said goodbye.” Five protests, but Celebi extends they hands again and Five knows that if he leaves now he might not ever find the little creature again

(He thinks of his siblings and takes a deep breath and reaches out and -)

He’s back in the woods again. Alone again.

(He looks down at his hands, and startles, because they aren’t his hands. They’re too young, caked in dirt but without the calluses he’s gained over the years.)

He runs, he runs back to his village and almost bowls over a drainer on his desparate sprint. Even the sight of a person is so strange that it almost halts Five in his tracks, but instead he sprint until he’s standing in front of a sight he hasn’t seen in years

He’s at the manor. But it’s different still. The lawn is in minor disrepair, which isn’t that much but it’s still wildly different from Reginald’s exacting standards of perfection. Maybe the old man let things go looking for Five? Did Five’s absence affect things so much?

He hears arguing, and without even thinking about it he jumps and suddenly he’s in front of - a bunch of strangers?

“Five?” One of them says with a voice that wobbles, and Five immediately backs up.

“Who are you?” Five asks, but he’s pretty sure he already knows. There are six people here, after all, all who look hauntingly like the siblings he left behind if they’d been allowed to grow up in his memory.

“Five, Five it’s us. What happened to you?”

“No.” Five denies, “No. I’m back. This isn’t right. This is wrong.”

That’s how the siblings end up having to deal with a physically eleven year old Five crashing Reginald’s funeral or whatever looking like he’s been living in the woods for months or maybe years? Five tells them he’s older than 11, that he lived in the woods for years but doesn’t know what Celebi did to him. At first he wants to go hunt Celebi down again and demand he be taken back to where he should be, but Vanya stops him stating that they lost him years ago and they need him to stay now

So they get the fun honor of having to raise a half-feral pre-teen who hasn’t really had human contact since he was 10 and who seems more comfortable with pokemon than he does with people. Most of the fam are well on their way to setting up gyms/already being gym leaders/working their way up and so Five ends up as the dragon gym leader when he’s physically 13-years-old

His siblings are all like “haha yeah we’re all the same age I think? unclear” and when people point at five they’re just like “haha yeah celebi time travel bullshit is the worst amiright” and no one has the balls to challenge them on it

(Five didn’t become a gym leader at physically 11 because he had to be taught to reintegrate into society. He still naps in piles with his pokemon and has to be bribed into using a bed/sleeping indoors but he actually speaks to trainers instead of dropping from the ceiling and ambushing them for gym battles so improvement)

#gym leader au #pokemon au #five mimics his pokemon #i think he partially chose dragon type pokemon because there weren't that many in the woods #that he interacted with regularly at least #so less of a reminder of the friends and family he has lost #five is a feral child gym leader who people fear facing #five's diet is still primarily berries #his siblings drop by with lunches and dinners if only to feed him people food half the time #five: why can't i just bathe in the river #luther: because i said so #five: but you can't play tag with the goldeen in the tub #five is playful and listens to his siblings pokemon more than them honestly #luther: NO #five: i do what i want #luther's gallade: shakes it's head no #five: awww okay fine #long post #far tua long #Anonymous

[ladycauthon]

I have read the first 11 WoT books about thirteen times now and the last three only twice, and so to celebrate my first ever complete re-read of the Wheel of Time I have decided to rank the books from my favourite to least favourite. Because why not?

It's actually always so fun for me to see people ranking the WoT books because everyone has different tops fives or whatever but Crossroads is always bottom or at least bottom three?

Anyway it's bottom of my rather unconventional ranking. This is all for my own amusement, ignore me:

1. The Great Hunt - Lord Rand is best Rand, said Hurin. And damn him and his fancy coats, which are suspiciously lacklustre in the lace department, said Mat.

2. The Shadow Rising - top tier Tear reunions which I adore, how I will forever wish there were more.

3. A Crown of Swords - Laurel Crown? Never heard of it. A Crown made of tiny swords? Yes! Also, what the hell is a gholam?

4. The Eye of the World - a ta'veren playing for his supper, and a wolf brother meeting his pupper

5. Knife of Dreams - the Dragon clips his wing, the lion prowls the plains and the wolf finds his falcon. The Golden Crane flies for Tarmon Gai'don!

6. Path of Daggers - *feigning a gasp* the Black Tower? Bad guys? Noo... Welp at least the weather's all fixed now right guys?

7. The Fires of Heaven - petition for a spin-off show pertaining only to Valan Luca's Grand Traveling Show and Magnificent Display of Marvels and Wonders

8. Lord of Chaos - some people might claim there could be dire consequences to kidnapping the Dragon Reborn, locking him in a small, cramped box and torturing him daily. But are those people Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, the rightful Amyrlin Seat, and first Amyrlin to be raised of the Red Ajah since Bonwhin Meraighdin? Tsk!

9. Winter's Heart - fun fact! Different countries and cultures have different marriage customs - that's right, Matrim Cauthon, you are now betrothed! Second fun fact! Saidin is cleansed!! Rejoice!! Wait, what do you mean nobody believes it for the rest of the series???

10. Towers of Midnight - actually Mat will get round to reading The Travels of Jain Farstrider one day, he just needs to find the time...

11. The Dragon Reborn - if you knowingly walk into a trap it's not a trap, and if a horse is called Mandarb and a Hunter is called Zarine then opening a firework is all well and dandy so long as those bloody dice stop rolling!

12. A Memory of Light - can't believe that Faile lost Lord Mat's Two Rivers tabac in a dark friend ambush - whatever will Rand put in his pipe now??

13. The Gathering Storm - sometimes all a man needs to do is sit and remember a shepherd named Rand al'Thor and have an epiphany on a mountain

14. Crossroads of Twilight - Listen, Precious, this is the only interesting part of this book and what of it?? Should we really be forced to suffer more Elayne bath scenes?? Those damn colours are bad enough as it is!

I genuinely can't remember anything interesting in CoT to the point I'm now questioning if the precious thing was even in this book and actually I'm pretty sure it started in KoD but to hell with it I don't care

#wheel of time #wot #wot books #wot book spoilers #wot spoilers

[queen-of-songs]

The Accidental Crush of Sansa Stark and the recurring annoyance that followed- Chapter 2 pt.1

"Sansa? If you could date any boy counselors here, who would you date?" Shireen, an adorable little camper asked as she walked all of them to canoeing. Sansa paused. Was her developing attraction that obvious? One of the golden staff rules was that there were to be no summer romances or if there was one, to be discreet to the point leadership didn't have any suspicions.

"She'd date Harry of course! Have you seen the way he looks at her?!" Beth giggled. "They would be like Ariel and...Philip!"

"Philip is Aurora's prince, Beth. Ariel's prince is Eric remember?" Alys shook her head at Beth. "I think Sansa would be happiest with Sam!"

"Sam likes Gilly, he blushes every time he's around her," Osha spoke up and the girls around her nodded in agreement.

"Sansa should go out with Dickon, he's so handsome!" Minisa sighed dreamily while Lyanna rolled her eyes.

"Can't you all see Sansa likes...." Lyanna began before Sansa interrupted her. "Girls, I appreciate you all comparing me to a Disney princess and wishing for my happiness. But I assure you, I don't feel that way toward anyone here."

Most of the girls seemed convinced by her little white lie and forgot about their question within seconds. All except for Lyanna. Lyanna stood behind while the other girls went down to the canoeing river. She tilted her head at Sansa in curiosity and Sansa took a deep breath.

"What is it Lyanna?"

"I saw you look at Jon at the pool yesterday."

"Lyanna, I had sunglasses on. I was looking at everyone in the pool." Sansa scoffed, hoping the defiant little camper would drop it. But Lyanna raised her chin with a sly smile on her face.

"Maybe that's true. But I saw you look at him a couple of times today at breakfast and you didn't have sunglasses then. You get a big smile on your face when he's around like the Disney princesses do."

Perhaps I should tone it down a bit.

Sansa took a moment to collect herself and sighed. "Lyanna, Jon is my coworker and friend. I smile when I see all my coworkers..."

"It's different with Jon. That's the way my mom looked at my dad before he died." Lyanna sadly smiled and quickly ran off to join her fellow campers, while Sansa stood in silence.

——————————-

"Girls, can I ask you something?" Sansa asked as she turned up the volume to skype her friends during break time. Margaery was in the process of making an anniversary gift for Theon, Dany was painting her nails so they could be ready for her date night with Daario, Missandei was painting a portrait for Grey, and Brienne was ordering a knife for Jaime's birthday.

"Sure, Sansa!" They all sang in unison.

"Am I being too obvious if one of my campers can tell who I am attracted to?" Sansa spoke quickly, hoping they missed it. But judging by how they were all looking at each other as if they were in the Brady Bunch credits, they did.

"OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Missandei shouted.

"I bet it's Harry! Margaery surmised.

"I think it's Dickon. Did you see the pics Sansa posted that tagged him in? They'd be absolutely perfect together!" Dany sighed happily.

"Well, are you going to tell us who it is?" Brienne rose an eyebrow.

"It's the guy I told you all about that pissed me off a few weeks ago. We've patched things up and he's really...cool." Sansa blushed and saw their collective smiles.

"You never told us Mr. Broody's name, what is it?" Margaery inquired.

"His name is Jon, Jon Snow," Sansa responded, and immediately Dany spat out her drink. "Jon Snow?! You like him?!"

"Yeah. Do you know him Dany?" Sansa asked, confused out of her mind.

"He's my nephew," Dany responded and Margaery's eyes widened. "Dany, how on earth do you have a nephew the same age as you?"

"Remember my older brother Rhaegar? Jon is his whoops kid after he had an affair while Elia was in a coma." Dany shrugged.

"Oh yeah! But you've never mentioned him before, why is that?" Missandei asked in curiosity.

"I didn't know he existed until he came to live with Rhaegar and Elia four years ago. He's hasn't been around much because he was either going to school or working at camp." Dany answered and Brienne leaned forward. "Dany, what were you going to add about Jon earlier when Sansa mentioned that she liked him?"

"He's a great guy...but Sansa, he has a girlfriend. Her name is Lysa Tully. He's been dating her for years. I am truly sorry, Sansa." Dany's face was full of sadness.

"Dany, don't be sorry! I'm glad you told me before I made a fool of myself. Now I can be more cognizant of my actions." Sansa put her hands in a heart shape and Dany laughed as she responded with heart hands back.

"But damn, I wish it were different. It would be so cool to have you as my sis...niece in law. Seven hells, that's so weird...."Dany began before all the girls cackled in unison.

Before long, Margaery narrowed her eyes. That typically meant she was vying for information. "Dany, give us the deets on Lysa."

"My brother and Elia think she's a character," Dany grimaced.

"That sounds like how my grandmother would describe Mr. Baelish and Mr.Varys," Margaery hummed.

"Rhaenys tolerates her and Aegon can't stand to be in the same room as her. My experience made me want to slap her, honestly."

"What happened?" Brienne inquired and Dany sighed. "She made Daario feel uncomfortable because he's not from "here," whatever "here" is supposed to mean."

"Oh. She's one of those types of people... ew does that mean Jon is as well???" Missandei rose an eyebrow.

"No, not by a long shot. Jon is super passionate about social issues and has always been involved in some way or another. He and Lysa got into an argument after she made Daario feel uncomfortable. She ended up apologizing, though I didn't think it was truly genuine. I think it was only to show Jon that she was "improving." Dany shrugged, while Brienne, Margaery, and Missandei collectively sighed. Sansa bit the inside of her cheek.

Of course, he has a girlfriend. He's good looking and has a kind soul. Who was I kidding? Well, maybe I can try to be his friend at least. Yes. That's what I'll do and my feelings will go away. They have before and they will now.

After making her decision, Sansa spoke up.

"Well ladies, enough about me and my sad crush life. Tell me about all your individual plans with your guys!!!!!!"

———————————-

"Sansa, you should go! I'm sure it'll be loads of fun!" Her co-counselor Mya exclaimed.

The leadership team decided last minute to have counselor late-night swim and Sansa internally debated if she really wanted to go.

If I am trying to friendzone my crush, shouldn't I try to limit the times I see him wet and shirtless?

"I'm really tired, Mya. I just want to take a hot shower, it's been a really long day."

It wasn't necessarily a bad excuse. It had been a long day. It hadn't even been five minutes after Sansa ended her skype call with her friends when she heard Dickon radio for her help. Two of the girls got into a fight during canoeing and poor Beth cried the entire time after she fell backward in the river. The next skill area didn't fare well either after Minisa got bit by a brown recluse and had to go to the hospital. Then later in the day, the porch swing broke off at the merchandise store and Lyanna sprained her ankle. Sansa had gotten well acquainted with nurse Thoros. Because she worked so well with the little ones, she typically made calls throughout the week but never this many in one week.

"That's true but Sansa, you've been such a trooper today. You deserve a break." Mya reasoned.

"You were there too, Mya. I wouldn't have survived today without you, honestly. In fact, why don't you go tonight and I'll go tomorrow?" Sansa responded.

"Are you sure, Sansa?"

"Absolutely."

"Aww thanks, Sansa." Mya smiled and hugged Sansa tight for a few seconds before going to her room in the cabin to get a bathing suit.

"Oh by the way Mya, I'd wear the blue one. Harry blushes a little when you wear it." Sansa looked at her nails while Mya's mouth slightly dropped.

"How did you know?! I thought I was hiding it well."

"You are! I'm the only one who can really tell because I'm a big sucker for enemies to lovers so I can tell by the little things."

"...Harry blushed a little when I wore it last?"

"Yeah and I'm pretty sure he was going to say something before one of his campers jumped in the pool with his stuffed kittens." Sansa and Mya began chuckling as they remembered the sweet little boy who wanted to prove cats weren't afraid of water.

"Well thank you for the heads up, Sansa." Mya began to leave before leaning back in the doorway. "Should I wear my braids up or down?"

"Do whatever makes you feel confident."

"I'm going to wear them down. Harry Hardyng, here I come." Mya sang as she left the cabin into the hall to go change.

"Sansa?" a soft whisper woke her up and she could see Mya's outline by the bed. Sansa rose up on her elbow and she could tell Mya wanted to talk out in the hall. She followed her out quietly and then sat against the wall.

"Mya, how was it?" Sansa rose an eyebrow and a deep blush appeared on Mya's brown skin.

"It was wonderful. We... we kissed under the water. It was magical." Mya sighed happily and Sansa's heart leaped with joy.

"Did anyone see you two?"

"Surprisingly and thankfully, no. Everyone was distracted by Sam and Gilly. He finally asked her out!"

"Sounds like a good night for everyone it seems." Sansa smiled and closed her eyes for just a moment before Mya spoke up.

"Do you like anyone Sansa?" Sansa opened her eyes to see Mya have an eyebrow raised.

"Erm... not really." Sansa lied and Mya scoffed as she began redoing her braids.

"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure I saw you staring at your former pool duty partner a bit the other day. Is that why you switched?"

"For one, for some reason, I thought Jon was going tonight before I remembered he and Harry are co's this week. Two, it doesn't matter how I feel."

"Why doesn't it matter, Sansa?"

"Because he has a girlfriend." Sansa's voice cracked a little and Mya's face filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, Sansa."

"It's okay."

"What's your game plan?"

"My game plan? I want to become his friend and try to friendzone him."

"Friendzone your crush, hmm. I've never heard of that before. How are you going to do it?"

"Ask him about his girlfriend, what he likes, try to steer from anything super personal, keep a healthy distance, and....I'll talk about guys I find attractive."

"Besides Jon, who else would you want to go on a date with at camp?"

"Not really." Sansa shrugged.

"Any guys back home?"

"Um sort of I guess? If you count teammates/friends Robb brings home during breaks. His is name is Pyp. He's really cool and kind." Sansa smiled.

"Ooh tell me more!" Mya rested her face on her hands as the girls did during storytime before bed.

"He's majoring in Civil Engineering. He plays left wing on the hockey team at White Harbor, he's pretty good. I wouldn't be surprised if he was drafted in the WHL. He's pretty funny and a movie buff."

"Why didn't you go on a date with him then?"

"I was scared after everything that went down with Waymar, that I was a little hesitant to date."

"What did happen with Waymar?" Mya questioned.

"I made a fool out myself for him. I wore different clothes, dyed my hair black, and I even started going by my middle name to seem "cooler" to him. I..." Sansa shuddered. "I gave him special favors in the hopes, he just so he'd finally see me. One day, he texted me to meet up with him at his house and I went over thinking that he was going to ask me to be his girlfriend. I got there and the door was wide open. I thought it was a bit strange and I went in, worried if Waymar was okay when I heard noises coming from his bedroom. I opened the door and caught him having sex with my former best friend Myranda. I closed the door and ran down the stairs. Waymar and Myranda came down right before I left. Waymar forgot he texted me and tried to apologize while Myranda just smirked at me. I asked her 'How could you?' and she said 'You're the biggest fool to ever think you had a shot with Waymar and I only became friends with you to get to him along with your money. Who would anyone ever want to date someone like you? You're a stupid and ugly little girl. Oh, you're crying now. How sad? No one's ever had the guts to tell you that? You're sasquatch with no curves or boobs."

Sansa looked down at the crown, while hot tears streamed down her face. Mya gathered her in her arms as Sansa sobbed.

"You know what Myranda said about you isn't true right? You're beautiful on the inside and out. Hell, I wish I was as tall and skinny as you." Mya whispered while Sansa shook her head.

"Mya, you're beautiful."

"So are you! Being tall sounds great, I don't like always having to crane my neck to look at Harry when we're bantering. The pool is probably one of the few kisses where he won't have to practically bend down to kiss me. Don't get me started on being curvy and having to find jeans that don't feel like they're not suffocating my thighs and butt while having a huge awkward gap in the back." Mya ranted. "Don't be hard on yourself, Sansa. You're amazing, you need to believe that. The girls love you, I love you, your other friends and family love you, and everyone at camp does. You need to love yourself."

"Thank you, Mya. You're right, I do need to work on loving myself." Sansa smiled.

"That's the spirit!" Mya high fived her and then they heard the door open from Mya's room to see Beth's face full of tears.

"What's wrong Beth? Did you have a nightmare?" Mya asked, her voice full of concern.

"No, I..." Beth's lip wobbled. "Miss Mya, I woke up and I realized I don't have any more underwear for the rest of the week."

"How many did you bring Beth?" Sansa asked as Beth sat down in between her and Mya.

"My brother packed me six."

Only six for Sunday through Friday? I'd pack at least twelve or fourteen... Wait! It's only Tuesday?!

"But it's only Tuesday Beth, how did you go through six?" Mya's eyes widened.

"I... I peed myself a bit on Sunday when I was waiting for the bathroom after I took my shower, so I had to change. Monday, I got my unicorn undies wet from the shower after I dropped them. I asked Lyanna to get some out of my bag. Today, after I fell in the water I got scared I was going to get leeches so I changed into my last pair. I just keep getting bad luck!" Beth started to tear up and an idea popped up in Sansa's mind.

"Beth, are all your dirty clothes in a bag?" Sansa asked.

Beth nodded and Sansa sighed in relief.

"Okay, I'm going to wash all of your dirty clothes in the washer and you'll have your five pairs clean again."

"Won't people judge me for re-wearing the same undies again?"

"No, it's none of their business and besides sometimes I wear the same undies when I don't take a shower for a day if I didn't sweat." Sansa shrugged.

"Same." Mya agreed and Beth looked at the both of them in amazement.

"Thank you so much, Miss Sansa and Miss Mya!" Beth hugged them both and went back into Mya's room.

"What. A. Night," Mya exclaimed and Sansa couldn't help but agree.

"Drinking coffee right before lunch?" Jon asked as Sansa filled her coffee mug.

"Yep. I'm exhausted, I had to wash one of my girls' clothes because she didn't pack enough underwear. She was upset and it broke my heart. Yesterday just wasn't her day."

"Beth right? She's a sweetheart." Jon smiled before he took a sip of his tea.

"She definitely is." Sansa nodded in agreement.

"Is she your favorite this week?"

"We as counselors aren't supposed to have favorites." Sansa attempted to be stern as Jon rose an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes. Sansa began laughing so hard that her nose snorted and coffee spilled down her nose.

She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her nose, refusing to make eye contact with him.

Seven hells, why must I embarrass myself in front of hot guys??? Why can't my laugh be sweet and adorable???

"I like your laugh, it's cute. You should do it more often." Jon's deep voice broke into her reverie and she lifted her eyes to see a small grin on his face.

"You should make more dramatic faces and jokes then," Sansa smiled back and Jon laughed a little.

"Noted." Jon nodded and then his eyebrows knitted together. "I just realized you didn't go to last night's late-night."

"Nope, besides doing Beth's laundry, I took a hot shower and talked to Mya out in the hall for a bit."

"Oh, Mya? Harry had heart eyes when he came back to the cabin last night. About damn time something happened."

"Mr. Jon? Did you just curse on campgrounds?" Sansa dramatically exclaimed and Jon chuckled as he shook his head.

"I sure did, Miss Sansa. Am I going to lose points now?"

#jonsa #jon x sansa #actuallyjonsa #jonsa fandom #jonsa fic #The Accidental Crush of Sansa Stark and the recurring annoyance that followed

[loisfrancinebalingit]

Miracle

I was running from nowhere. I didn’t even stop to catch my breath until I reached the front of our house. I’m so confused because many people are murmuring and even crying. What caught my attention was a girl that looked exactly like me. Then I realized, “I was there,” I said to myself. Standing firmly but I’m trembling in fear. I can’t understand why I’m wearing my school uniform. I heard my neighbor shout, “Help! My daughter is inside!”. What is happening? I stepped a foot and got surprised when I saw my sister crying her heart out while gripping on her clothes tightly. She stood up and ran to the corpse that was coming from nowhere, then I saw—

My alarm clock suddenly rings. It rings like crazy! I reach for my alarm clock and shut it full of irritation. I was at the peak of knowing who is the corpse in my dream, then my alarm clock got in the way “argh! It has been five days! Please let me know who it is!” I told my alarm clock then removed its battery. I have been dreaming the same dream for five days now, and I don’t know why I saw that corpse and those people crying like they wanted to have a river in front of our neighborhood.

I get up on my bed and enter my bathroom to take a bath because it is almost time to go to school. After taking a bath, I blow-dry my long wavy black hair. I glanced at my mirror and smiled when I saw my almost perfect face: perfect teeth, clear and white skin, slightly pointed nose, red lips, round face, and round brown eyes. I opened the door of my room, then Moon suddenly entered and caressed my foot. “Aww, good morning too, my baby” I pat my dog’s head as if she understands what I’m saying. I carried Moon downstairs, and my feet led me to our garden. It feels weird that every morning starting the day I first dreamt of that scary dream, I always visit this garden for no reason at all. I don’t even have that sentimental connection with plants, but I’m starting to love them day by day. “Good morning, planty!”I said to the plants while watering them with my pink sprinkler.

I saw mom, dad, and my sister already seated and waiting for me in our dining area. “Baby, sit and eat,” my mother said. I didn’t bother looking at her and just sat. We started eating silently. I eat slowly, not minding if I would be late for school. I don’t like school anyway, I said to myself. In addition, I don’t want to gain weight because I really love my body curves. My thoughts were cut when my mother speaks “How was your study, Gifty?”. I didn’t answer. My grades are high; in fact, I’m a consistent honor student. I wanted to say it out loud, but I chose not to. “Hey, your mother is asking you,” my dad said. I’m afraid of my dad because he has solid features and is strict. I was thinking, is it because he’s a doctor? “Fine,” I answered shortly, still eating. “What do you expect from her? She’s always like that. Brat.”My sister said with full of hatred. I didn’t bother arguing with her today because I just want a peaceful morning. My mom looked at me apologetically and said, “Are you still afraid of talking to us because you might argue with us and end up hurting us?”. I stop eating.

I'm playing with Kerby. He is my friend, son of my mom's friend. "Let's race, Gifty! The first one to reach your house is the winner", Kerby said. We're on our way home; we decided to walk because it's just 5 minutes away from our subdivision. I know I'm not allowed to run because I have asthma. But I can't say no to my best friend. "Sure! The one who loses will buy drinks!" I said, then I ran ahead of him. While running, I can't breathe. I feel like passing out. When we reached our house, mom saw me sweaty and barely breathing.

"Why did you let Gifty run?!"mom said to Kerby in fury. I could not speak, so I didn't have the chance to explain to my mom. Luckily, my dad is a doctor, and they have storage of my medicines. When my normal breathing is back, Kerby goes to his house to rest and do our homework. While me? I was sitting on the edge of my bed, looking at my hands while being scolded by mom and dad. "What did we tell you? Don't run! You are allowed to play, but running is not one of it!" my dad shouted. "I just wanna have fun with Kerby," I said. "Don't answer back when we're talking!" my dad called again. "We're just worried about you, honey," mom said. I looked at them in the eyes, "I know myself, and I can take care of my health!" I shouted, getting irritated with their voices. "How dare you shout at us?!" dad said furiously. I closed my eyes when I saw his hand coming. Then I saw nana, my grandmother, lying on the ground. "AHHH!"I shouted because my head hurt. I panicked and pushed my dad; he slipped on my dress lying on the floor, so his head hit the edge of my study table. "Dad! I'm sorry!" I said while crying. My mom called an ambulance, not paying attention to me. All of a sudden, I felt like I didn't exist.

“Mom, I’m sorry, I-- I saw nana lying on the ground. Dead.” I said in hesitation. My mom looked at me with loathe. It hurts me seeing her eyes looking at me in that way. Am I not your favorite daughter anymore? I said to myself. “What nonsense are you saying? Cut it out. It’s not funny. Your dad could be in the grave because of what you did!”mom shouted. I cried. I’m confused too. Why do I have to see that? Maybe it’s just my imagination, right? I’m convincing myself a million times that it is just imagination. But after dad got discharged, mom got the news that our nana was dead and found lying on the ground. I was overwhelmed by so many emotions. Did I just see how my nana dies? But why?

I don’t want it! My mom looks at me with suspicion. “How did you know?” she said. “I don’t know, mom, I just saw it,” I said while sobbing. “You are dangerous,” dad said. It was only once! Why do they hate me for that? Maybe it was just a guess of my head. But one day, my head hurt like a hammer is hitting it numerous times. I closed my eyes and saw my dad getting shot by a man wearing a mask. I told my mom, but she said I should stop imagining things and shut my mouth. I decided to be quiet. Until the day my dad was shot. I didn’t say a word in any questions they had for me.

"It was seven years ago. I don't care about hurting anyone," I said. I was 10 years old at that time; I was already 17. I stood up and got my things without saying a word. Kerby is waiting for me outside our house. "My dear snail, when can you be as fast as a rabbit?" he said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at him and started walking away. He has been my best friend since birth. I don't know if he's really my friend or what because all he did was annoy me. "I'm as fast as the flash," I said. "Wow! I didn't know that the flash is that fast, huh" he pushed me. We both laugh and get silent. I know that Kerby knows when I'm in the mood or not because he annoys me whenever I'm not in the spirit, and we're like twins by heart.

Kerby was there for me when I experienced a breakdown every time my head hurt. He knew I was not lying, but he could not comprehend it too. He just stayed by my side and quietly comforted me. I researched my condition because I suspect it was a curse from someone or an illness. But to my surprise, there are no such cases as mine. I’m the first one to see and predict future accidents. I sighed in frustration. Incredibly, I can predict future events, but I don’t understand why it is only about death or dire circumstances? I look like a murderer. Argh.

We arrived at school 5 minutes early from the homeroom. “Am I slow? Huh? It’s too early!” I slapped Kerby on his shoulder. “at least we won’t be scolded for being late,” he said and winked. “Whatever”I rolled my eyes at him and sat on my chair beside him. I hate school, but I have no choice because it’s for my future. I took out my phone and started watching my favorite k-drama. Kerby took the right part of my earphone and watched with me. He’s not fond of k-drama, but because of my influence, he starts liking it. After a few minutes, our teacher came.

During our lunch break, Kerby and I decided to buy food outside our school. We’re only allowed to purchase food outside our school but eat it inside the campus. “Does your head still hurt?” he said randomly. I looked at him, confused about his sudden question. “Not anymore. Seven years ago was the last time I had a headache,” I said. I know Kerby refers to me seeing how my loved one’s getting hurt or being killed. My dad was so lucky to survive that shot. We returned to our school and ate at our cafeteria. Many students are on our campus, but Kerby and I were weird people, so they didn’t bother talking or having lunch with us. “Eat faster so that we can watch while waiting for the next class,” I told Kerby because he’s eating like kissing the bread. “I love this bread so let me be!” he said and rolled his eyes on me. I laughed at his expression and continued eating.

After eating my food, I stood up to throw away my trash when suddenly my world started spinning. Lucky me, Kerby was beside me. That’s why he was able to catch me. “What’s wrong?” Kerby asked in unduly concern. I closed my eyes in great pain, and a sudden picture of an explosion showed up to me. I panicked, but it was so painful. I was still closing my eyes, and I saw many houses from our subdivision getting eaten by the fire. I opened my eyes and looked at Kerby, “Our house! It will explode!” I shouted at him and stood up to go back to our classroom to get my things. Kerby grabbed my hands. “What are you saying? Did you see some dead people again?” he asked. My headaches again, I saw the firefighters holding a corpse. I shouted in so much pain. My sister took off the cloth covering the corpse, and I saw—mom. “My mom!” I screamed and ran as fast as I could to reach our classroom. This was the scene in my dream! It will really happen.

This cannot be. Not my mom. I haven’t told her I love her and apologized to her. I only ignore having a conversation with them to avoid seeing them getting hurt. It pains me a million times to be the first one to see how my loved ones get hurt or even die. “Don’t leave me behind, Gifty!”Kerby shouted at me when I ran past him. “I need to save my mom. I need to save the people in our subdivision,” I said with a teary eye. I feel so guilty seeing our home getting eaten by the fire. “What are you gonna do? Do you think someone will help you? Do you think telling the police or anyone that you foresee our subdivision exploding and your mom being dead will do?” he said annoyed and betrayed. He’s right. No one will believe me. “I’m not leaving you behind. I just have to be there. Before it’s too late for me to be with my family.” I cried. “Let me help you. You’re my best friend, and that’s our home,” Kerby said and hugged me tightly. “Auntie will scold you for cutting our afternoon classes,” I said while wiping my tears. “She would understand it. It’s for you and our families” he smiled and held my hands.

“You need to calm down first so that we can think of a solution,” Kerby said. I suddenly got dizzy again. I closed my eyes, and I saw someone in a black jacket entering our house and holding a bag with a bomb inside. “There’s someone who planted a bomb on our house! What the!” I shouted in much rage. “Calm down!” Kerby was surprised. I’m so pissed! Why would someone want to set a bomb on our house? “Come on! Before it explodes!” we both run to our subdivision. I even forgot that my head hurts.

“Do you think our subdivision could have a miracle?”When we’re hiding behind the guardhouse, Kerby asked, thinking of some alibi to tell the guards. “Maybe not. Besides, no one believes what I see,” I said. Who would have believed someone like me who foresee the future? The death? They would just think I’m crazy. “Distract the guards for me. Tell them something about bombs. Make them believe that there’s a bomb inside the subdivision,” I told Kerby while I was giving him my bag so I could run-up to our house. “And you?” Kerby asked with the highest eyebrow he could have. “I’ll look for the bomb and try to bring it here so the guards can deactivate it,” I said and smiled like it was the best idea in the universe. “No! I’m going with you! Don’t be selfish on being a hero,” He pouted. I laughed at his face. I know I’m selfish right now but not because I want to be a hero, but because I don’t want him to be with me if the bomb is about to explode. I tapped his shoulders. “I’ll treat you ice cream after we save our home.”

I hurriedly ran inside our subdivision, and I almost flew for wanting to get through our house. I don’t know where to find the bomb. I just saw a man holding a bag with a bomb when my headaches. As I entered the door of our house, Moon barked at me and ran. I followed her as if she was giving me a signal to follow her. “Moon! Where are you going?” I shouted as I stopped following her because I felt suffocated from running a while ago. I can’t breathe. Moon barked louder at me and then ran through our garden. I inhaled deeply and then strolled to our garden to see what Moon was trying to show me.

“Moon! You’re so brilliant as me!” I hugged her in supreme excitement when I saw the bag containing the bomb. My dog helped me to find the bomb easier than I thought. I opened the bag, to my surprise, “two minutes”It’s almost a whisper that only my brain hears. My heart skips a beat. I stepped backward in fear. “Gifty, honey? Are you home?” I heard my mom shouting from upstairs. My head suddenly hurts again. Mom will die with me, and our neighbors will suffer because of the explosion. I can’t let that happen. Without having a second thought, I took the bag with the bomb and ran away from our house as fast as possible. I know somewhere here in our subdivision where no one lives. It’s an open space where Kerby and I used to go whenever I had my breakdowns.

I started crying a river of tears. I can’t breathe. I’m so tired, but I can’t let our neighborhood get destroyed because of the explosion coming from our house. I reached the open space to see how massive our subdivision is. This is the view at the peak of our subdivision; it’s the reason why I love coming here whenever I want to calm myself down. I put out of the bag the bomb. It���s only a minute before it explodes. I’m too tired to get down. It is not my plan to stay here either. But what choice do I have when my breath has already surrendered?

“Mom, Dad, and Magdalene, please forgive me. I only want the best for our family and subdivision. This is the only way I know to save you, to pay for my bratty attitude toward you for the past seven years. I love you eternally.” I cried while tapping my chest because it hurts, and I could barely breathe. “I’m sorry, Kerby, I betrayed you again. I can’t treat you later nor never” I closed my eyes, and the smiling faces of my family and Kerby flashed through my head. I smiled. “I’m happy,” I whispered. This day was the most adventurous time of my life, but I guess it would be the last. Maybe our subdivision can’t really give us a miracle, but let me be the one to give meaning to its name, “Miracle Communities.” A godsend that our subdivision survived the bomb set by the anonymous heartless human.

[okie-studies]

What goes up must come down. Just like I do, from yesterday. By the time the clock has announced tea-time, I'll be mentally crawling into a tiny box in which I barely fit. At least, the crash was merciful to let me have a bath this time. However, I can't tell if it's The Crash or just what I used to feel normally. Same with The Rush. The switch, however, us drastic enough to send my parents to a panicked doctor-calling. He assured father that it's how stuff works, for approx three weeks. And my task? To survive for all that time. Yesterday, I woke up around 3 AM, again staring at the ceiling. This time, I had a poem to write. Good? Horrible? Ask me when I'm finally back on ground, feeling my feet for the first time since.... idk, some day. At least my drownings last for less than a few hours now. For the rest of the day, I'm floating in a mirage like world; a twisted reflection of whatever's real. Bro's not home, he's out for some of his "errands", to be back in 3-4 days. The Pooja is scheduled for this Friday. I forgot to be excited. I wish I cared about something, anything at all. It feels like living in a parallel dimension, the observer's place. Not the podium, not the dais, not the balcony. I'm a huge bloated eye on the ceiling, quietly watching my ghost either breaking the stage or holding on to the curtains string. I feel trapped inside a moving thing. My one try to free myself ended up with a ban to step inside my room. Parents on constant vigilance. I do not complain. More often than not, I do not even think. Whatever the little voice is trying to say gets drowned in my overjoyed screams or is incoherently amplified by the silence that follows.

Right now I'm listening to Teen Idle, and all I can think of is the time I did it. Six days ago, ig. The repeated lines, the beats, all reminders of how I drew lines over lines to please my inner demon. And be freed from it. Instead, I jumped right into it, doctors and wide eyed nurses cutting pieces from freshly opened cotton roles and bandage packets to be dipped in brown fluids and wrapped around the two river banks on my wrist, sewed together into what looks like a sealed passageway to the underworld. I repeat the same answers to the same questions. My reply has distilled into "I did it.... depression". Was it? Was it a teenager's cry to leave a world of emptiness or was it the last effort to save myself from what I saw(see?) as a lifetime of idility? Why did I do it? Because I could. And still can. And I was so close to it. Before the Coward's fear caught me and pushed me to my mother. Her eyes on the verge of overflowing. Then I promised to her that I'd always tell her and she agreed never to cry while reacting to the whole thing. Achu sent me a song and I replied. It felt like talking through a hundred year old derelict telephone. That's the result when you break the barrier you built trying to keep others away from your words; words that drag them to hell with you like sharp hooks. But then, what else am I supposed to feel when the only thing to look forward is another visit to the doctor's, when you spent most of your day yelling and running like a yeti on weed! No past, no future. A present torn between hyperactive five year old and a tired octogenerian under the watchful, and often tearful, eyes of my parents, watching their golden child going insane . How is it not better to switch this off forever? Every morning I wake up to the hatred I had put to sleep. Then cope. I feel guilty for every unmade attempt, and the one that failed. I wish if I could believe in the Phoenix and ashes myth for once more. Now, at best, I am that dead sparrow you find on a footpath infront of the grocery store.

[stories-tales-myths]

Fairytale: König Drosselbart / King Thrushbeard

A German fairytale that I grew up with. It's supposed to teach a lesson, but it's actually really fucked up.

.characters: Princess [vain], King [her father], suitors [various], King Thrushbeard, Beggar

---

1. Enter beautiful young Princess. [Let's face it, she is a teenager. There are different versions with her age 14-18] King wants to marry her off.

2. King invites suitors [really just an assortment of inbred creepy old guys with titles and money] and because he is soo kind and progressive and loves his daughter soo much, he wants to let her choose who to marry

3. Suitors line up, Princess judges. [It's supposed to feel like that scene from "The Emporers new groove", but Princess actually has some good points] 'You are like four times my age' 'You smell as if you have never taken a bath in your life and I'm supposed to touch you?' 'I think you killed your last wife because she only had daughters. Did I hear that rumor right?' 'You look like a pig.' 'You're drunk.' 'Your parents were siblings and you only want to marry me because you don't have any sisters.' 'You live several weeks away and I don't want to leave my family and home like this:' [Add to your heart's content. Some good points, some shallow points. Seriously. The tale always gets told with shallow and reasonable criticisms, but the audience is always supposed to feel as if all points are shallow. I told you it's creepy. I have never heard a version without at least the age-thing and some reference to alcohol. But SURE, Princess just needs to suck it up. ] and finally: 'You have a funny beard. You look like a thrush. I shall call you King Thrushbeard.'

[This is a thrush. What a cute little birdie.]:

4. Somehow, this pisses the King of. [Maybe he used to sport this style in his youth]

The King throws a tantrum:

'You, my beloved daughter, are an ungrateful brat. You refuse to marry any of these wonderful suitors, these noble noblemen that would actually be perfect for you. And now you make fun of this handsome fella.

Obviously, I [mis]understand you perfectly: You don't want to marry a nobleman, so I guess you don't want to be a princess anymore. And you embarrass me in front of my old friends and drinking buddies, so I guess you don't want to be my daughter either.

You shall get your wish: The next beggar I see shall be your husband. You won't ever see this castle or me ever again.

Now go to your room, I will have a drink or two with these WONDERFUL men.'

5. Princess does not believe her father. Nevertheless, the next morning comes. There is a beggar. The beggar asks for a few coins. Instead, he gets a 14-year-old [or whatever age you picked] child bride [Child, yes. Even if she's 18, he's like twice her age at least] They have a very small wedding and then leave the castle. Princess cries the entire time. [reminder. The story usually gets told with the emphasis that Princess deserves this and is just being an ungrateful brat right now]

6. Beggar and Princess on their journey. Because she is now severely dehydrated, she stops crying. And she fucking scared. [Because her father just GIFTED her to a strange man without her consent and even went so far as to tell her, that whatever happens, she CANNOT come back and ask for his help. And she has no idea where the strange man lives or what he will do to her.

To clarify: The 'noble' suitors would have been pretty bad too. But she would still be a princess and have at least some protection. There would be a court and she would never be completely isolated. There would never be even a risk of her being forced into prostitution or sacrificed to some heathen god or many being eaten alive.

Most of that does not happen, but she can't know that for sure. Just imagine how you would feel in her situation. ]

To distract herself she starts to make light conversation:

"Who does that pretty meadow belong to?"

> "Oh that. It belongs to King Thrushbeard."

"Who does this lush forest belong to?"

> "Oh that. It belongs to King Thrushbeard."

...

[She always asks about something rich or pretty and it always belongs to King Thrushbeard. It's a day-long journey, so just do as many repetitions as you'd like. ]

7. They arrive at a really small, sad little hut.

Princess: "Who does that shabby hut belong to?"

Beggar: "That belongs to me. And because you are my wife now, it's your home as well. I expect you to cook and clean for me and tend to the garden, and I expect you to do well because I don't have time for a lazy wife.

[EWW]

[8. She probably gets raped. This part is never explicit because today's versions of any fairytale for children are rather tame. And the older versions don't NEED to say anything, because they originate in a time when OF COURSE you just casually raped your wife, especially on your wedding night.]

9. Princess has to deal with chores and fails, because of course she does. And Beggar is pissed and yells at her a lot. [He might also hit her.] But at least he is only at home at night, although she has no idea where he goes every day.

Options include

-basket weaving (She has bloody hands after this)

-pottery

-cooking (she doesn't actually fail at this, the soup is just a little bland. Beggar yells at her anyway.)

-cleaning

-laundry (almost drowns in a river)

-selling things at the market (she fails by being run over by a horse in this one.)

10. Beggar is fed up with his permanently 'mopey' [traumatized] and useless 'wife' [underaged slave]. So he sends her away to work at the castle as a kitchen girl.

Nobody recognizes her. [There are several possible reasons as to Why That Is. One worse than the next:

a) King may have ordered everybody to pretend to not know her. Just to make her feel miserable.

b) Princess is now malnourished and possibly sleep-deprived. Possibly her trauma manifests in severe nightmares. She isn't clean, her hair is different, she may have lost weight. Possibly her demeanor has changed too. Gone is the confident and playful girl. This girl speaks quietly, walks quietly and hunched over, and flinches at sudden movements.

c) Princess might be older now. We have no idea how long she lived in the hut with Beggar. A week? A year? Five Years? Who knows?]

11. She is actually relatively happy. She makes friends, learns skills from the other servants (who are actually patient and don't just yell at her). Maybe she gets to say hello to her horse again.

And Princess gets to steal small pieces of the exquisite food her father eats. [don't worry everybody does it] She picks these pieces up and puts them in a small pot under her skirt to eat them later. [Don't ask me about the logistics here. This is one of the big mysteries of my childhood. Why a pot? That must be uncomfortable. How inconspicuous can it be to do this? What if the King eats soup? ]

12. One day, there's a big banquette. King Thrushbeard is there, spots Princess, and says something like 'What a pretty girl. I don't care that she's working right now. My dick says I wanna dance with her, so I'm gonna.'

[In other versions he only notices her because the weird pot shatters and THEN decides to dance with her.]

13. Up-close, Princess realizes something:

King Thrushbeard IS the Beggar

14. King Thrushbeard officially introduces his wife to the world, Princess reconciles with her father. There is a second wedding, big this time.

[In some versions the King knew all along, in other versions he doesn't and just finds this hilarious.

In all versions this counts as a happy ending btw.]

---

Now the lesson here is that girls should always be kind and just do what their dads say. I guess. It's a terrible lesson.

#story #german fairytales #fairytale #creepy old man #terrible fairytales #thrushbeard #questionable morals

[thestuckylibrary]

Hey guys,I was wondering if you could rec some of your favourite underrated fics?Like,hidden gems?I understand that's a list that probably takes a while to make,so if you can't do that with all the work you've got its completely fine.Thanks for all you do!!

here are some fics i loved that have less than 300 kudos

stars go waltzing out by FreshBrains

Who am I?

Who are you?

Where am I?

It scared him when he asked himself those questions. It scared him shitless, because sometimes he didn’t know how to answer.

leave the lights on by memitims

“Do you believe in the one?” Steve asks.

in the land of the living by hitlikehammers

Trip remembers the Temple; the Chamber. Remembers the Obelisk. Remembers—

Well. Basically, Trip remembers more than enough to be real skeptical about how the hell he ended up here, after that.

Furrier Needed by bactaqueen

Steve comes home to Bucky wearing nothing but a fur coat.

more fics under the cut!

Fortunate Son by Heronfem

We have miles to go before we sleep.

Or, the one where the Winter Soldier comes back, Howard Stark was a terrible man, Bruce is enigmatic, and Steve learns about CCR.

Awakenings by thedevilchicken

Steve wakes to a world terrorised by kaiju and steps up to pilot a jaeger. Natasha assists.

Bucky wakes as the Winter Soldier and struggles to find a new identity. Steve is entirely unhelpful.

And while Steve comes to terms, someone else saves the world.

I Will Find a Way to You (If It Kills Me) by notwithoutyou

Bucky kisses Steve for a few years before Steve finally kisses back.

They Liked You, Too by fadedink

If the night blows up in their faces, he’ll do his best to keep from saying “I told you so” too loudly.

Rehabilitated by sterlingsuspenders

Stark’s press release calls him “rehabilitated,” but Bucky doesn’t feel rehabilitated at all. He feels like a feral animal on a short leash. He feels like gnawing his own leg off.

Cocktail Party by bellagerantalii

“We are in the fucking White House, Rogers. The man we just walked out on is the same guy who you promised me was going to change the world back in 1932, and oh, yeah, he’s now the President of the United States.”

“We didn’t walk out on Franklin Roosevelt,” Steve insists, even though he knows that’s kind of what just happened.

Memory, Now by sheafrotherdon

A first kiss, of a kind

tender refrain by colberts

“Where’d you learn to talk like that?” Bucky asks as he shifts down, his breath hot against Steve’s skin.

“Had a good teacher.”

“Keep talkin’.”

Cops and Assassins by sassembled

A Halloween AU where Steve is a waiter working at a bar that requires its staff to wear costumes and Bucky is a customer of said bar.

Paradise by MakingPoetry

After thawing out, getting a new arm, and recovering from what Hydra did to him, Bucky has something important to tell Steve, but Steve already knows.

sea begins to slide by technorat

Steve and Bucky don’t stick to one place for too long of a time.

streets of fire by molgera

Bucky remembers, through a haze, this: a small, blond boy, much too small, and far too resolute for his own good. Bruised knuckles and split lips, over and over. The memories were already fading around the edges, a worn photograph. And then he was captured. And then, and then, and then.

Renewal by zilia

Steve, Bucky, and a new experience for both of them.

Room’s Still Spinning by hollybennett123

“This ain’t no dance I’ve ever seen before,” Steve protests, trying not to laugh and not quite succeeding. He grasps at Bucky’s shirt, the fabric twisting sharply in his fist as he steadies himself, anchored.

“It’s ours,” Bucky says as he turns it into an off-tempo waltz, eyes bright and his wide, lush mouth kissed pretty. “Our dance, you an’ me.”

to the river to wade, to bathe by nbsherlock

they take a lot of baths.

Burst down the doors by trisarawrtops

He tries the door. Of course it’s actually properly locked tonight. He peers inside, raps on the glass with his knuckles, but there’s no one in the halls.

Or, Bucky gets locked out of his apartment.

The Parting Glass by portraitofemmy

When he remembers the song, he remembers it in Sarah’s voice, not in his own or that of his own mother. Just like every other memory that Bucky Barnes had considered important enough to go over again and again often enough to write it into the depths of his mind, it was tinged with echoes of Steve Rogers.

come on up to the house by nightmaresinwintah

Or; Steve and Bucky finally get some time away from the craziness of their lives and we get a slice of their soft, happy life.

Dark Lights of Brooklyn by jwdish98

Steve Rogers is a private investigator who is barely skating by. He spends more time in his office than his apartment, and he continues to watch all his friends live out their lives while he sits on the sidelines.

However, when a case falls into his lap that dredges up past mistakes Steve’s life starts to veer off course- in a good way. Probably.

(He’s not entirely sure yet.)

The Only Familiar Thing by brideofquiet

Steve takes a breath, steels himself, and asks, “Where are we going, Buck?”

Bucky raises an eyebrow. “You’re the one driving, Steve.”

And before Steve can protest, Bucky gives him that broad, toothy grin again. The worry pitted in his stomach ebbs, and he decides—what the hell? Why not? Steve pulls his helmet on and swings a leg over the bike. Bucky settles in behind him, and he cranks the engine to life.

Four out of Five by bopeep

If there were a merit badge for standing your ground in the face of manipulative fourth graders, Bucky Barnes definitely would not have earned one.

out of chaos, life is being made by prusfockers

How Bucky Barnes remembered and Steve Rogers smiled, a story told in 15 acts.

EDIT: Someone wrote in to recommend:

Meet Me On The Darkest Night (/others) by Cryofreeze

“I know you think it wasn't my fault, Buck...”

“You had to make a decision, there was no right or wrong choice.”

Steve blinked miserably at the stone step beneath his knees, grinding grit into his so-called uniform. “Maybe I'm not cut out to be a Commanding Officer.” He forced back a lump in his throat threatening to constrict his voice. “Or Captain America...”

~ ~ ~ ~

After the Howling Commandos' last mission goes awry, Steve questions his morals and self worth as a soldier... and as Captain America. He struggles to believe in himself and the man he thought he was, but being thrust back out on another dangerous mission gives him little time to choose between his own self-doubts or giving his all to save 1,000 prisoners of war from Hydra's clutches.

With the aid of Peggy Carter and the unwavering support of Bucky Barnes, they set out on a rescue mission inside the confines of a medieval fortress in WWII Europe. However, Steve isn't the only one to find the ghosts of the place crawl under his skin...

There's angst, action and an emotionally driven core to the tale of how Steve Rogers is forced to come to terms with what it really means to be Captain America.

#thestuckylibrary asks #this got really long but i mean #fics <3 #mod julia #Anonymous

[aryareyes]

The moment our eyes met...

Chapter 2

Wattpad link : https://my.w.tt/VXt651wY86

JUVIA'S POV :

The cool air brushed my hair and sent chills on my spin as I watched my hometown through the car window. Further I go further I felt the same familiar warm feeling inside me as the first time.

- " Juvia? " I turned to face Jellal at his call.

- " Are you okay? " he asked concerned. I gave him a reassuring smile in response. As he seemed unconvinced I added  " Jellal, I'm fine. Really ". He smiled softly and turned to face the road.

- " Good we'll be there in five minutes, I'm not sure if there's everything you need there, let me know if you need something..." he stated.

- " All I need is a long bath and Coffee! " I retorted.

- " So you're too a coffee addict huh ?"  He grinned.  " Don't know what you girls find in coffee..." he trailed.

- " Dude! No coffee no life! Besides girls are not the only coffee addict...Don't be a sexist." I defended myself.

- " Ok.Ok. Maybe you're right but still it's more girls who are coffee lovers than guys..." 

- " Well you guys are smokers so we're even."

- " Hey! I don't smoke...I actually hate it!" He exclaimed offended.

- " I said guys not Jellal Fernandez" I chuckled and I rolled my eyes.  " However, we have a point in common..." I stated.

- " You hate smokers too ? " he asked.

- " Of course, I hate the fact they kill their selves so dumb fully! " I said back.

- " Agreed...and here we go." He was parking his car in front of the flat.

- " I'll carry your stuff your Majesty, you may go inside...here's the key..." he joked handing me the key.

- " Thank you my knight of shining armor." I countered him back. He laughed before pushing me inside the building. I stopped laughing by the by time, I arrived in front of Gajeel's flat which was in fifth floor, second door at left.

I opened the door and entered the apartment. It's little different from two years ago, it's more furnitures and decorations. Yet, it's simple and minimalist but cozy. I liked it. Weird, Gajeel is not too keen on decoration or house management. It's probably the girls doing. (AN : photo on media)

I didn't find him in the living room so I went to his room and he wasn't either. I frowned but then remembered what Jellal said earlier.  Gajeel couldn't come to get me because he had an impediment. I sighed, I was so excited to see him here. I shook my head to chase unnecessary thoughts. If Gajeel couldn't be here then it was really important. That doesn't mean he'll get away with this so easily, I'm gonna piss him off with this once he's back.

I then opened the curtains and the balcony door to let the morning sun light enter. Perfect. I stepped out on the balcony with my fireflies bottle in my hands and took a look at outside. It was nothing new, a town with small buildings and shops but not a lot. It wasn't crowded, it's calm and peaceful. Just like I like it. I saw a long river running in the middle of the town a took a mental note visit it.

I then hanged the fireflies bottle near the hanging flower pots on the balcony and went inside.  I entered the a room which I assumed mine because it looked unused. The other two are filled with things. One's Gajeel and the other seem more like a common room.

I looked at the untouched room which only had a bed, a dresser, a table with its chair and a small sofa with its stool. It looked like a hotel room to me, I added my room decoration in my mental notes. Though the fact that with my stuffs, it won't be so empty. That's when I looked around me. Where is Jellal ? It's been almost fifteen minutes I'm here and he won't take that much to bring my luggage here. through the lift for God's sake. Maybe he completely forgot? I went to the living room to see but no he's here. Where the hell is he ?

I need a bath and coffee to clear my head, I thought as I went in the bathroom taking a new towel in visitor's room, thank god, Gajeel thought about leaving a towel for visitors. I can take one of Gajeel's t-shirts until Jellal comes back with my things.

I closed my eyes as I felt the water on my skin, I sighed in content and made my self comfortable. Water always makes me feel at ease. I feel free, pur and natural in the contact of the water on my skin. I always have loved it since childhood. That maybe a reason why I like swimming and fortunately I'm good at it.

After a long hot bath, I wrapped the towel around my body and got out of the bathroom to find a t-shirt in my brother's room. That's when I regretted to not bringing it before, at the time I so wanted a bath and now the room is in the opposite side. I have to cross the hall to get there. I sighed and prayed Jellal shouldn't be here before entering the living room.

I was mid way in the hall when I felt the fresh air on my skin, with the rays of the sun light. I smiled in delight as I felt shivers on my body. I then frowned, before going in the bathroom I closed the window so how...

I turned to see a strong silhouette leaning against the edge of the balcony. I could see his biceps,his toned muscles and his sculpted abs forming a perfect V shape through his white t-shirt. He had a chiseled jawline and then all I saw is a back of the black mess of hair.

Shit. Was I really ogling on Gajeel? Beurk! I mentally slapped my myself and shook my head. I then remembered that Gajeel is just in front of me, I haven't see him for two years and now he's here. I squealed in my mind and approached him slowly and silently.

I stopped behind him before slapping his butt playfully. He jumped in surprise startled and I laughed out loud.

- " OMG! Your—Your reaction!" I laughed harder.

- " Why...are you so sur—surprised Metalhead ? Who...else will slap your... butt if it's not me ? Hmm... maybe you expected it to be your girlfriend..." I choked my own words as I was laughing throwing my head back. I had tears on my eyes and and my stomach was paining. So I stopped laughing with so much difficulty and narrowed my eyes at my brother's face as he was now turned to face me with his arms crossed against his chest.

Oh no. My expression turned into horror in a second, if I before was red from laughing now it's redder from embarrassment. I opened my eyes and mouth wide and blinked. And then shouted in shock.

- " Who—who—-ar—are you?! " I stuttered blushing and trying to pull the curtain to me as I suddenly become aware of my lack of clothing. I just had a thin white towel on my body for God's sake!

- " Who are you ? And what the hell are you doing in my house ? " I raised my voice as the stranger kept staring at me. Damn it. He's hot. He's such a handsome face—-Shut it Juvia! He's a fucking stranger! And you were drooling over him a minute ago and slapped his sexy butt.——Shut the fucking mouth of yours conscience! I was only saying the truth...——Shut it.

- " Excuse me, who are you ? " he raised an eyebrow.

- " I'm—-Wait, I don't even know you why should I tell details about me and for God's sake, you're in my house! Get out of here! " I retorted.

- " Geez...So you can slap a stranger's butt but can't say your name..." he smirked. It caught me off guard.

- " I—I—-I confused you with someone else—-" I said heat rushing to my face as the embarrassment took over me. "...Sorry...I swear I was confused that my brother's butt was flat and all but then I saw the black hair and..." mumbled as I bobbed my head down ashamed, my cheeks burning in embarrassment.

- " So you think mine is well shaped..." he murmured with a smirk. I ignored him.

- " However that doesn't explain your presence here." I looked up at him frowning in anger.

- " It's our place so of course I'll be here! What I don't understand is who the hell are you?! " he retorted for the first time raising his voice.

Idiot. How dare he come in my house and raise his voice against me ?

- " How dare——"

- " Raindrop?! " That idiot and me turned to see Gajeel on the door.

- " Metalhead! " We exclaimed in unison and started at each other shocked then back at Gajeel.

- " Shit. I missed you troublemaker! " my brother exclaimed as he walked to my spot rapidly.

- " Fuck you! " I hissed at him. The stranger idiot laughed as Gajeel stopped a feet away from me and blinked, once he processed what I said, he gave me a death glare. But a second later his glare was directed to the stranger idiot as he was laughing.

- " What the hell are you doing here stripper!" It was my turn to laugh at the nickname and as if to prove Gajeel's says that idiot hadn't have his t-shirt.

I found my eyes wondering on his amazing torso and looking his cross chain curiously before getting back to my sense. The stripper idiot was now glaring at my brother and me. I bite my lip to bit laugh and I felt my cheeks puffed as I was controlling my laugher.

- " Who the hell is she?! " he asked irritated.

- " She's—" Gajeel started But I cut him off.

- " Oh! Mister, calm you ass down! Don't talk to me like this! "

- " Oh! Madam, Cut it off Ok?!" He retorted. I was about to reply when I looked at a dumbfounded Gajeel between us and then at him to see that he was doing the same as me.

I stared at Gajeel again then at him and couldn't control myself. I burst out laughing, along with him. Each time we tried to stop, just a look at each other's face is enough to double our laugher over.

After few minutes, I was leaning against the wall to support my weight and holding my stomach in pain. He was sitting in front me on the floor, now with his t-shirt on, seeming to be in the same state as me.

- " Man...I don't remember laughing this much in my life! " he exclaimed. I chuckled and nodded giving him a thumbs up as I was so tired to talk.

- " Ok. You know what I'm not even gonna ask why the hell are you two puffing like dauphins!" Gajeel said from the living room, I didn't saw him going there between my laughers.

- " That's a great idea Gajeel! " I approved wiping my tears.

- " Whatever. Raindrop this is Stripper prick, Stripper this is Raindrop" He gestured a hand between us lazily from the sofa.

- " What a great way of introducing people..." I said sarcastic. The other guy sneered and stood in front of me.

- " I'm Gray. Gray Fullbuster." He gave a hand with a handsome grin. My lips curved in a slow smile as I took his hand.

- " Juvia Lockser, pleased to meet you." I shook his hand giving him a sincere smile.

- " That's not what it seemed to be half an hour ago but guess, pleased to meet you too." He half-grinned. I chuckled.

- " So you're Gajeel's friend huh? "

- " Yeah...and you're flat butt's sister right?" He teased.

- " It'll hurt his ego if hear this..." I said in a small voice chuckling. He sneered.

- " Bless you. You're alive for all those years being Metalhead's sister." He mocked.

-" What did you say Ice prick ?!" Gajeel shouted from the kitchen.

- " Gajeel?" I called him sweetly.

- " Yeah?"

- " I need a coffee! Please!" I cried. I can imagine him rolling his eyes and sighing from here.

- " it's actually not that bad." I said to Gray. He chuckled before murmuring :

- " A free advice : next time don't slap any guy's butt." I blushed bright red and remembered I had only a only towel to protect my dignity.

- "Cover your eyes! Don't peek! " I warned him before moving myself from behind the curtain and sprinting to my room. I heard him laugh even after I closed the door. I leaned my back against it and I tapped my forehead in shame, with a small smile on my lips.

#gruvia #fairy tail #juvia lockser #gray fullbuster #love #friends #jellal fernandes #highshool #fanfiction

[ballbubble3-blog]

Why can't you swim in Philly's Delaware River?

Picture this: You’re sitting on the rocks at Penn Treaty Park. It’s about a thousand degrees, and the shimmering Delaware River is just a few steps away. What do you do?

If you’ve lived in Philadelphia for more than five minutes, the thought of submerging yourself in the Delaware probably sends a chill down your spine. A century ago, the watershed was so toxic it killed the fish inhabiting it, and the stench was pungent enough that pilots complained about flying over from 5,000 feet.

But it’s been 50 years since the Clean Water Act was implemented to purify the rancid flume. Development has surged again along the banks, reconnecting Philadelphians to a waterfront that long seemed like a smelly, distant dream.

Today, environmental experts note that the river is the cleanest it’s been in decades. But they still do not advise you take a dip in the Delaware — not yet, at least.

“Would I recommend someone just jump off Penn’s Landing and swim there?” said Kate Schmidt, spokesperson for the Delaware River Basin Commission. “Even if it was OK for primary recreation, there’s other issues you need to think of.”

Let’s just get it out of the way: The whole stream is suspect when it comes to fecal matter. Data from the Delaware River Basin Commission indicates that the section of the river running through Philly has nearly four times the sewage than anywhere else. It’s especially bad after a big rainstorm.

“The fertilizer, dog poop, herbicides and pesticides that end up on our landscape because of the way people live their lives — that gets collected by the stormwater system and ends up in the river,” said Maya van Rossum, head of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network nonprofit.

Michael Stokes / Flickr Creative Commons

Random debris often washes into the water, from trash tumbleweeding off the streets to construction materials abandoned along the waterfront. And though the Clean Water Act helped — by treating wastewater before it gets to the river — it hasn’t completely rid the water of industrial pollutants.

Currents pose another considerable fear for would-be swimmers. The depth of the Delaware drops from about 5 feet to 30 in a short distance from the shore — and if you wade out that far, you’ll find yourself up against some pretty strong currents.

“We don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, things have improved, and it’s safe to swim,’ but don’t underestimate the power of the water,” Schmidt said. “People have drowned in the water without a life jacket on.”

Also watch out for boats, she added. Philadelphia is a major port, and if you’re not careful, you could literally swim into a shipping channel and get absolutely annihilated by a gargantuan sea vessel.

For the record, Philadelphia is the only spot along the Delaware River that has been officially deemed unsafe. The EPA has classified the remaining sections of the waterway in both directions as safe enough for “primary recreation.”

To regulate the 301-mile waterway, the EPA divides it into six zones. Our lovable metropolis is set firmly in Zone 3.

Think of it like the do-not-submerge zone.

“Around Philadelphia, we say secondary contact is OK, but not primary,” Schmidt said. “That’s because of things like debris and combined sewer overflows in the water.”

Officials instead recommend boating, kayaking and maybe some light wading near the shore.

But that might soon change. Local environmental advocacy groups are lobbying lawmakers to change up Zone 3’s designation — which would necessitate cleaning up the watershed to the point where Philadelphians can bathe without harm.

Van Rossum, who calls herself the Delaware Riverkeeper, is leading the charge to get a swimming designation approved around Philly.

She hypothesizes that people are already using the waterway for primary recreation — so they’d better make it safe for them to do it.

“The reality is that people are swimming,” van Rossum said. “We need that formal designation so that we are assured that when people are out there swimming, they know that the government is putting in place the best protections.”

So far, she’s released a recreation survey for folks in the Philadelphia area to identify how they use the watershed, and she petitioned the Delaware River Basin Commission to change its designation.

Schmidt, of the DRBC, agrees: “We’re seeing that people are using the water for some more primary contact type recreation, like jet skiing,” she said. “So if people are using it that way, does the designated use of that area need to be upgraded?”

The Commission is looking into it. They’ve launched a brand new bacterial monitoring program in Zone 3. Five times a month, DRBC staffers will test eight points around Philadelphia for contaminants — and if they find that the water is clean enough for primary rec, they’ll ask the EPA to switch designations.

Courtesy Delaware River Basin Commission

“It’s a process that’s underway,” Schmidt said. “We need some more data to be collected and more discussion before we make a recommendation.”

Source: https://billypenn.com/2019/06/12/why-cant-you-swim-in-phillys-delaware-river/

[existentialstatesofmind]

Weekend Fun

Clare: frowned, deep in thought as Dakota and his brother described the bullying that went on. "I know things can get really out of hand once someone becomes a target and that there is a lot of peer pressure to have sex or not to have it, but it seems so extreme. A lot of the bullies were probably virgins themselves and went along with it to divert attention away from their self. Of course there's also kids who hate anything they don't understand. I guess the stigma is why the guys in Jesus Club usually refuse to wear abstinence rings. I never thought too much about it because they're all so passionate about waiting for marriage. The members of the club have been divided about a lot of issues though, to be honest, that's why there was a name change." Clare told them. "Pool maintenance right. My older cousin used to have a pool. Her family lived about an hour from here by our grandma and when Darcy and I would go stay with her, we had to help skim and scrub the pool. My cousin taught me how to test the water’s chemical level too and I know there were a lot of other things they had to do to keep it clean. My relatives didn't use their pool year round though, and when my uncle retired they sold the house and moved away." She nodded. "That sucks. Other than being used for it, having your own pool still sounds wonderful to me. Even if the novelty wears off." Clare smiled when Dakota kissed her cheek. "Yikes. Not a good method. The first thing I remember is being taught how to blow bubbles in the water to be comfortable putting and keeping my face in the water. But I wasn't a baby so that makes a huge difference too." She laughed too when Stacy said Dakota should've made more pizza. Clare was good with three slices but she might've actually been tempted to eat a fourth if he had, it was so good. "I'd like that sometime. Okay, cool." She said about the song Dakota had played. She giggled when Dakota put her on his lap again. "You know what? I don't mind the chaos. I like your family." She told him quietly. "Really? That would be so much fun. I have a court in my backyard with a net. But they have table tops too, and than all you need to play is a birdie and rackets." Clare shrugged. "I hope so." After Dakota helped her up, she nodded. "Sounds nice. What kind of games? Just video games?" Clare rarely played those. When she was at Adam's or Eli's and they started to play one she usually took that as a sign it was time to go home. She followed Dakota and Ash down to the basement. She smirked when she saw the pool table. "I've played a few times. I'm definitely a beginner but I know the basics."

Kota: nodded at Clare's words. "It is extreme." he agreed. When she talked about the pool maintenance, he nodded. "Yea, it does suck because we're all responsible. We don't need to skim it regularly since it closes nothing really gets into the pool. We have a chlorine container that floats in the pool so we just put that in it and we just check chemicals, scrub it, and that's it." he said honestly. "Though at times to make it easier to kill the algae, we turn the heat up to 140º. It kills it, but we can't do it too often since it's bad for the pool and throws the chemicals off." he said honestly. "See, I'm going to put her in the kiddie pool and tell her to dunk her head and that I'll be right there. She does it in the tub so I'll just bring some bath toys and tell her we're in a giant bath." he shrugged and listened to them mention the pizza. Hearing Clare mention a badminton net at her house he smiled and nodded. "We have a table for table tennis." he said honestly and listened to her mention the games. "All kinds, some video games, pool, racing games, DDR, a few TVs.." he shrugged. "Not much, but we all worked for it." he said honestly. "Aside from the TVs, they were given to us. Our neighbor has a really good job and whenever they come out with a new TV, they get five of them and we get their old ones as long as they work, in turn we house sit when they're away on business free of charge and keep the house clean. It's sort of an agreement we have." he explained. When they got down in the basement, he smiled at her when she mentioned being able to play pool. He handed her a pool stick and watched Emi as she sat on Ash's lap and played a game with him. "It would be more fun if you dated." Dom stated and Kota rolled his eyes. "Wait till you bring a girl over friend or not, you're doomed." Kota threatened. "You forget who crawled into my bed with me crying about a bad dream?" he asked curiously. "It was a really bad dream, I was being attacked and drowned in some river." Dom whined. "Woman up." Emi said out of no where and tugged on Kota's pants only to have her hands up and for him to pick her up. "Tired?" he asked and she just put her head on his shoulder. "I'm starting to forget what mama looks like." she cried a bit and Kota knew it's been a while since she got the letter from her. "I'm here. Your mama will come back." he cooed and rubbed her back. "Look at me?" he asked and she did. "Sis has a picture of your mama, how about we get it from her when she comes home?" he asked softly and she smiled. "There's that smile." he chuckled and put her back down. "Go play." he said and looked at Dom. "Listen to Emi and woman up." he chuckled and watched Dom walk to Emi. "Miss your mama?" he asked and Emi nodded. "Woman up." he said throwing her words back at her. "But I'm only five and you're old. I don't know how to woman up yet." she pointed out and Kota started laughing. "You're older, Kota." Dom said and Kota shrugged. "Doesn't make it any less funny." he said honestly. "Besides I fell off my skateboard yesterday and knocked myself out for a few moments, Emi knocked on my head and told me to 'mommy up'." he confessed. "You need to check on your arm later. Make sure it's healing. If not we'll get Kelly to take you to the hospital." Ash said and Kota sighed. "You'll have a permanent residence there soon. All the nurses know you by now." Dom pointed out. "I only ever need stitches so they'll probably just stitch me up again right away." Kota shrugged and handed looked at Clare when the pool table was set up. "Do you want to break?" he asked handing her the cue ball. "We're playing free hand so it'll be easier for you. Just put it where ever you want." he stated.

#wf

[beechwrench4-blog]

Why can't you swim in Philly's Delaware River?

Picture this: You’re sitting on the rocks at Penn Treaty Park. It’s about a thousand degrees, and the shimmering Delaware River is just a few steps away. What do you do?

If you’ve lived in Philadelphia for more than five minutes, the thought of submerging yourself in the Delaware probably sends a chill down your spine. A century ago, the watershed was so toxic it killed the fish inhabiting it, and the stench was pungent enough that pilots complained about flying over from 5,000 feet.

But it’s been 50 years since the Clean Water Act was implemented to purify the rancid flume. Development has surged again along the banks, reconnecting Philadelphians to a waterfront that long seemed like a smelly, distant dream.

Today, environmental experts note that the river is the cleanest it’s been in decades. But they still do not advise you take a dip in the Delaware — not yet, at least.

“Would I recommend someone just jump off Penn’s Landing and swim there?” said Kate Schmidt, spokesperson for the Delaware River Basin Commission. “Even if it was OK for primary recreation, there’s other issues you need to think of.”

Let’s just get it out of the way: The whole stream is suspect when it comes to fecal matter. Data from the Delaware River Basin Commission indicates that the section of the river running through Philly has nearly four times the sewage than anywhere else. It’s especially bad after a big rainstorm.

“The fertilizer, dog poop, herbicides and pesticides that end up on our landscape because of the way people live their lives — that gets collected by the stormwater system and ends up in the river,” said Maya van Rossum, head of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network nonprofit.

Michael Stokes / Flickr Creative Commons

Random debris often washes into the water, from trash tumbleweeding off the streets to construction materials abandoned along the waterfront. And though the Clean Water Act helped — by treating wastewater before it gets to the river — it hasn’t completely rid the water of industrial pollutants.

Currents pose another considerable fear for would-be swimmers. The depth of the Delaware drops from about 5 feet to 30 in a short distance from the shore — and if you wade out that far, you’ll find yourself up against some pretty strong currents.

“We don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, things have improved, and it’s safe to swim,’ but don’t underestimate the power of the water,” Schmidt said. “People have drowned in the water without a life jacket on.”

Also watch out for boats, she added. Philadelphia is a major port, and if you’re not careful, you could literally swim into a shipping channel and get absolutely annihilated by a gargantuan sea vessel.

For the record, Philadelphia is the only spot along the Delaware River that has been officially deemed unsafe. The EPA has classified the remaining sections of the waterway in both directions as safe enough for “primary recreation.”

To regulate the 301-mile waterway, the EPA divides it into six zones. Our lovable metropolis is set firmly in Zone 3.

Think of it like the do-not-submerge zone.

“Around Philadelphia, we say secondary contact is OK, but not primary,” Schmidt said. “That’s because of things like debris and combined sewer overflows in the water.”

Officials instead recommend boating, kayaking and maybe some light wading near the shore.

But that might soon change. Local environmental advocacy groups are lobbying lawmakers to change up Zone 3’s designation — which would necessitate cleaning up the watershed to the point where Philadelphians can bathe without harm.

Van Rossum, who calls herself the Delaware Riverkeeper, is leading the charge to get a swimming designation approved around Philly.

She hypothesizes that people are already using the waterway for primary recreation — so they’d better make it safe for them to do it.

“The reality is that people are swimming,” van Rossum said. “We need that formal designation so that we are assured that when people are out there swimming, they know that the government is putting in place the best protections.”

So far, she’s released a recreation survey for folks in the Philadelphia area to identify how they use the watershed, and she petitioned the Delaware River Basin Commission to change its designation.

Schmidt, of the DRBC, agrees: “We’re seeing that people are using the water for some more primary contact type recreation, like jet skiing,” she said. “So if people are using it that way, does the designated use of that area need to be upgraded?”

The Commission is looking into it. They’ve launched a brand new bacterial monitoring program in Zone 3. Five times a month, DRBC staffers will test eight points around Philadelphia for contaminants — and if they find that the water is clean enough for primary rec, they’ll ask the EPA to switch designations.

Courtesy Delaware River Basin Commission

“It’s a process that’s underway,” Schmidt said. “We need some more data to be collected and more discussion before we make a recommendation.”

Source: https://billypenn.com/2019/06/12/why-cant-you-swim-in-phillys-delaware-river/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more