#pete jemison

[thethistlegirlwrites]

Current Main Project - Compass

She doesn’t look back at Pete outside the cell. No sense showing she’s invested in making sure she has backup. She’ll never survive this trip if she can’t project confidence.  “Hands.” She hopes her voice is stern and commanding, not a request.  Barrett extends his hands, wrists together. She snaps the cuffs around his arms. His skin feels cool and dead, like she’s touching a corpse. She resists the urge to wipe her hands on her pant legs when she’s done. The cuffs are tight, biting into the skin around the heavy bones of his wrists, but this is the only size she had available. The cuffs are dual plated, so it’s not silver directly pressing against his skin, but she can’t imagine this will be a comfortable trip. “Okay, let’s go.”

Los Angeles – 2017 An off-the-books prisoner transfer turns into a deadly road trip on Route 66 after vampire hunter Sierra Aguirre-Stoker takes on the dangerous assignment attempting to live up to the family name.

After learning the truth about her father Gabriel’s secret life and the underground world he was part of, Sierra Aguirre joined the Amarillo Hunter Agency to follow his footsteps. Two years (and a transfer to the Chimera agency in Los Angeles, to train with her uncle, John Stoker) later, she’s a rising star, in a world where vampires are becoming increasingly subject to human knowledge and scrutiny. When a vampire wanted by both human and hunter law enforcement is captured, LA authorities demand that he be tried for the murders he was wanted for as a human. Concerned that human legal and law enforcement systems are no match for a dangerous rogue vampire, the agency determines that the best way to keep him from escaping to transport him out of the jurisdiction to the Silver Cells in Arizona before any official request is made. Sierra and her partner volunteer for the assignment, which seems like the perfect way to prove she’s a worthy heir to her family’s impressive legacy. But as the journey continues, she finds out that many things she’s taken for granted are more complicated than she wants to believe, including her job, her family legacy, and the guilt or innocence of her prisoner…

Tagline

Sometimes the monster is the one you see in the mirror.

Genres

Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Adventure

Character Bios

Sierra

Pete

Shane

Character bios for full cast (and extended universe OCs)

Project Playlist

Spotify

YouTube

Links

Project Pinterest

"Netflix Series" style teaser

Tagging @catwingsathena @nade2308 @the-one-and-only-valkyrie @telltaleclerk @ettawritesnstudies  @writeouswriter @whump-place @floh673 and if I'm missing anyone for the taglist please let me know!

#compass #nanowrimo project announcement #nanowrimo #nanowrimo 2023 #sierra aguirre-stoker #shane barrett #pete jemison

[usnatarchives]

Oval Office Vulcan salute - President Obama and Nichelle Nichols. Photo by Pete Souza. Obama Library, NARA ID 200283671.

Nichelle Nichols at NASA's Glenn Research Center, 4/20/1977, NARA ID 17468123.

#RIP Nichelle Nichols Star Trek's Lt. Uhura goes to the final frontier By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

Nichelle Nichols - NASA Recruitment Film 1977.

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all." Statement from Nichols’ son, Kyle Johnson

Nichols with adoring fans at NASA's Glenn Research Center, 4/20/1977, NARA ID 17468124 .

Nichelle Nichols holds a piece of a satellite presented by Capt. David Martin at NORAD, 1/6/1977, RG 342. Online here.

NORAD press release 1/6/1977, RG 342, Records of US Air Force, online.

More online:

In Memoriam: Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022), National Archives News.

To Boldly Go Where No (Wo)Man Has Gone Before… by Archives Specialist Netisha Currie.

Nichelle Nichols Helped NASA Break Boundaries on Earth and in Space, NASA.gov

Mae Carol Jemison- The First African American Woman in Space, Pieces of History by Dena Lombardo.

Space Exploration - NASA Records at the National Archives

#nasa #stem #blm #representation matters #star trek #i love star trek #women in stem #black women in stem #rip nichelle #rip nichelle nichols #obama #obama library #rip #black women rock #black history #african american history #rediscoveringblackhistory #norad #greatwomen #nichelle nichols

[rainbow-femme]

If anyone would like to follow and support a retired Hodinöhsö:ni’ artist

[Image Description: Today marks the first day of Peter Jemison (Seneca, Heron Clan) retirement as Historic Site Manager at Ganondagan. In Peter’s 36 year long tenure his tenacity, dedication, and leadership built the Seneca Bark Longhouse (1998), the Seneca Art and Culture Center (2015), the Hodinöhsö:ni’ Juried Art Show (2017-2021), and the “Hodinöhsö:ni’ Women: From the Time of Creation” (2018) exhibit at Ganondagan. His accomplishments and contributions to the community cannot be listed in brevity. Nya:wëh (Thank you) Pete for your service and leadership!

Follow Pete on Instagram @gpeterjemison_art to see his latest art and exhibits. If you spot Peter’s artwork in the community, please tag us as well as Peter!

#ganondagan #gpeterjemison

Image description: Images of 1986 Turtle Quarterly Magazine with Peter Jemison on cover fading into a contemporary photo of Peter. Photo credit for 1986 image- @onondowagaman]

#Hodinöhsö:ni’ #seneca #Native American artist #haudenosaunee #iroquois #heron clan

[sfaioffical]

John Lindsey, once a night manager at Pete’s Cafe—situated on the roof of San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) on Chestnut Street—now runs The Great Highway art gallery in the Outer Sunset. After eight years of establishing the gallery and himself as a curator, John decided that now is the time to facilitate a reunion-like exhibition and recreate an experience that fostered a community of now globally recognized artists—Pete’s Cafe - SFAI in the 90s.  

Alongside salon-style hung photographs and letters from the 90’s, lives a wall full of memories featuring works by forty artists who either attended and/or worked at SFAI during that time period. On Saturday, January 11, during the opening reception, there was a truly euphoric feeling of reunification in that small, overcrowded room next to some of the most renowned contemporary Bay Area artists who all share a common experience of being a part of the school’s café.

What was it like to buy from or serve food to someone you just slammed in a painting critique? Or, to embody the idea that you can’t please everyone—a contradiction to the ‘customer is always right’ so popular at the time? Read all about the emotion, passion and feelings that were on display at the café, in a conversation I had with John.

Bojana Rankovic: Why Petes’ Cafe, and why now?

John Lindsey: Pete's Cafe was a very influential time in my life. The first time I worked there, I didn’t take any classes, but I fell in love with it there and I was having such a good time, that I never even thought about taking any. Then, the second time I worked there, I wanted to try to change my life, get out of cooking, and go into graphic design. I loved being at SFAI, I loved art, I loved the people, and mostly I just found everyone to be so wonderful and inspiring.

And then there was Pete. He is a guy who created this very unique environment, and I felt like I was a part of that and it was something special. It turned out that a lot of these people who were at the school, at that time, and the people who worked in the cafe, went on to do really amazing work. It was a magical time, a magical place and a wonderful group of people—so that's why Pete's Cafe, this exhibit.

I wanted to do this show now because  I have had my gallery for 8 years, and I felt that it would have been forward of me to ask Alicia (McCarthy) to be in the show the first year I was open, or to ask Barry (McGee), or Eamon (Ore-Giron) or Xylor (Jane) or Colin (Chillag) or Mads (Lynnerup) or any of the other people, Cliff Hengst, Scott Hewicker.. They are all the people that never left the community, and have worked very hard in the arts and have devoted their lives to it. When I got out of school I went off and worked at a tech company, and then that whole ‘.com’ blew up and I just started doing graphic design on my own, so I didn't stay in that community myself.

When I got the gallery it was just gonna be my office, and people were asking me if I wanted to rent it out to them, but I wanted to have my own space. Then I thought of an even better use for it would be to become my studio- a little printing studio, and I could show artwork, too, because I didn't have to invest capital to do that. It's a consignment shop for all intents and purposes, a viewing space, and so it was something I could use to speak to the neighborhood. I've been in this neighborhood, and I’ve been surfing out here for 30 years, and I'm tired of talking about just surfing. I was trying to bring different conversations around the coastal environment than just surfing, so that's what led the programming throughout the years.

I always wanted to do this show, but like I said, I was apprehensive to call in favors, so for eight years I’ve been doing things like, when Alicia had the Orfn show at Luggage Store Gallery- I donated a piece, and stuff like that, slowly becoming a part of the community- in positive ways and working. And now, I think I've got 50 shows under my belt. So now I know how to do it, I'm a better curator, at this stage, because I've been doing it for so long, and I know the window and I know the neighborhood and I know my neighbors and the unique situation out here. 

Then, all of a sudden, Pete comes and shows me the boxes, and I knew it was time to do a show. The timing felt right. When I saw Pete’s timeline installation (by Patricia Kavanaugh and Tanesha Jemison) that was originally on the back wall of the Cafe, I thought that could be the anchor of the show. So, that's why it happened now - because it took that long for me to get there, it took that long for Pete to show me the stuff, and because it took me time to figure out how to anchor the show.

What was it (at SFAI) that made you want to get more involved in the arts, like take classes, and now have your gallery? Were you interested in art even before your job at Pete’s?

I was a chef, and I was always good with computers. When I went to the University of Utah for a couple of years before moving out here and going to cooking school, I had the first Macintosh computer and we were doing very rudimentary things with it, but that was part of the foundation. I was feeding people's stomachs and then I turned into feeding people's eyes and minds. And frankly, I was never going to be a graphic designer, I wanted to take the arts that I was learning at the Art Institute and use that as the foundation of my graphic design practice. I got into it all at the Art Institute, and I was into art before and I was a very creative person, but just in a very different way.

Can you talk about how the strong sense of community, centered around Pete’s, influenced the students in an individual way, and what it felt like to be a part of it?

Part of it is that the school store and the cafe were centers of necessity on that campus. People have to eat and people need art supplies, and so those two places had some value beyond just taking classes at a regular university to people. There was some power in those two places. A friend of mine would come in late at night and I would give him a baked potato or whatever and students would give away food...things like that, and we never busted people...well, actually we did, I have a memo here of one person we had to kick out because he was just straight-up stealing food; but we took people in, and then the administration would come to Pete and bring a student who's not really fitting in, and ask him if he can give them a job and get them assimilated into the school. If you had a job at the school store or the cafe - you met everybody, and you were serving everybody and you were engaging with everybody. If you were not fitting in or you were lost at school and if you work in the cafe, all of a sudden you were front and center, for good or for bad. 

That was one way that we were influencing students and then we just had a lot of fun, and the making of food is a creative practice, the culinary arts, whether you want to call it art or not. And not everybody worked well at the cafe, some people are not very good workers and that's just life but some people really enjoyed what was going on in there and it was good for them, it fed a lot of people, if you work there you got free food so that was a whole other benefit to it.

And then we were good chefs, we are both professionally trained chefs, we worked together at Hayes Street Grill, and then Pete got the job at the Institute first and brought me over. We weren't opening a lot of cans, we were trying to make really wholesome wonderful food that was also cheap. Rice and beans was the whole thing, $2.75 I think is what we charged when we first started selling it. Then, Thanksgiving dinners, stuff like that, it was good healthy food, and it was all in a beautiful setting, working in the cafe—the view all day long.

There were a few complaint letters up on the wall next to all the art. What are the stories about them, and who was it that had issues with Pete?

Well, it is an art school, isn't it? Critique is a huge part of it.

We are offering a service and you can't please everybody. There were students, faculty, staff, administration who were all very happy with it and then there were also people who found it to be too loose. Sometimes, people might get offended, but you know that was it, it was biting, we were able to study everyone that came in through that school and we were the observers to some degree, and there was a slight bit of power and control in the fact that we had the food. I'm sure that our customer service was not perfect, a lot of the time...I mean there's one letter here when Xylor and Ted are complaining about somebody, but it just is what it is. Also, you're there with everybody all the time, so during the summer it would just be me, Peet and Tad and we'd wait on all the staff and administration throughout the summer and then the student workers would come back in the fall or late summer and then all the students would come back and all heck would break loose.

You also have to remember...let's say I'm waiting on you, and we were just in a painting critique and I said something really nasty and horrible about your painting or the other way around. There was that type of stuff that went on all the time, as well. There were also relationships that were going on, that the students had, and all that type of stuff, just like any school, but it was all on display at the cafe...emotion, passion, feelings.

How did the opening reception night go for you? How did it feel to see everyone after all these years?

It was really incredible. 

I've been living with this for almost 3 weeks now, putting it up, looking at the pictures over and over again, reading everything over and over. For me, personally, it's been a constant barrage of old memories coming back, which is really neat at this stage in my life. So, that was just personally a cathartic thing, but then I felt like there was so much love and energy in the room and it was so neat.

When I’m at the openings, I have to work, talk to certain people, help them purchase things, make sure that my daughter is doing a good job behind the bar, that nobody is getting in trouble outside, so I'm not fully engaged out beyond the desk, but seeing everyone just be this happy was really touching and special. 

Someone suggested that I could do this show again, somewhere else, and I could, but there will never be a night like that ever again. That was really what was amazing about it.

Is there someone whose career took an unexpected turn? Anyone who ended up in a field you would never expect them to be? Or ended up applying their practice in a way that radically changed?

Wow...I would say that someone who I think is just super awesome is Colin Chillag, who had a tough time in school. I just love his paintings and what he is doing now, his wicked sense of humor. He's one example but I guess I would say that it applies to everyone because I was so naive when I was working there, I am just blown away by all of them, by Alicia and Ruby and Colin, and Eamon, Xylor, and Cliff who worked at the school store, and Mads, who was the goofiest kid when he was working at the cafe, and what he’s gone on to do is just wonderful and amazing.

And then, surprisingly, some people for whom you thought were the most talented people in the entire world have drifted away, and they took a completely different track, maybe they have gone into administration or they've joined the fire department or something like that, that's a big change.

What is coming up next at The Great Highway? Anything you are particularly excited about?

I have another opening on Saturday, January 18, that is going to be on the other wall across from Pete’s Cafe, and that is the MLK Surf Photography Show. In 2013, on the Martin Luther King Day weekend, there was a really amazing swell at Ocean Beach and all these photographers took photos of it, including myself, so we're going to have a show here and we're in collaboration with Mollusk. There will be artwork and photographs there, and photographs here, there will be a band at Mollusk, and I’m going to show surf videos on my screen. 

So that's the next show is and what's cool and neat about it is that I’ll get a whole new group of people here, and not only will they see the surf show, but they will get to see Pete’s show. It won't be as well attended as Pete’s show, but there will be about 50 to 100 people. All those who normally wouldn’t have seen Pete's will be introduced to the San Francisco Art Institute.

Pete’s Cafe—SFAI in the 90s runs from January 10–February 14, 2020 at The Great Highway in San Francisco. Details here.

#SFAIalumni artshows

[rlasalvador]

New Homes Davenport -Horse Creek at Crosswinds

Horse Creek at Crosswinds Express

110 Tiny Flower Road, Davenport, FL 33837  

407-756-3303

From $328,990 1,504 - 2,447 sq.ft.

 110 Tiny Flower Road Davenport, FL 33837

Take I-4 to west to exit 58 Champions Gate. Left to Osceola Polk Line Rd follow to 17/92. Follow south for aprox. 5 miles to Community on Left

Directions  https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=28.17359,-81.59556

 Area Information Banking Entertainment Healthcare Public Works Restaurants Services Shopping 

 Now Selling Express Homes  Now Selling 

   Horse Creek at Crosswinds

*Now Selling!*,Welcome to Horse Creek at Crosswinds! This community located just minutes from Posner Park and Orlando's world class theme parks and attractions, Horse Creek at Crosswinds is the perfect community to call home. The best local restaurants are nearby, as well as numerous golf courses. Be adventurous and see Davenport from the air on a hot air balloon ride. Slow down the pace a bit and play at the Northeast Regional Park. Your home at Horse Creek at Crosswinds will be in the center of it all!

This community offers five of our best Express Homes floor plans to accommodate your individual needs and preferences. These spacious homes include 3-5 bedrooms, 2-3 bathrooms, and range from 1,504-2,447 square feet. All homes include a two-car garage, stainless steel appliances, ceramic tile flooring, Home is Connected smart home technology and beautiful standard features you're sure to love. 

Hours    Sun 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM    Mon - Tue 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM    Wed 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM    Thu - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Contact Info    Online Sales Consultant- Pete Petridis          Horse Creek Model Center      407-756-3303

Amenities

     * Cabana      * Playground      * Pool      * Home is Connected Smart Home Technology      * Stainless Steel Appliances      * Ceramic Tile Flooring      * Nearby Shopping and Dining      * All Concrete Block Construction      * Conservation Views      * Natural Landscaping      * Close proximity to Posner Park      * Short Drive to Theme Parks

         School Districts Near Homes

School Name Distance

Davenport Elementary School <https://des.polkschoolsfl.com/>

 https://des.polkschoolsfl.com/ K5 

1.2 mi.

School Name Distance

Shelley S. Boone Middle School http://boonemiddle.polk-fl.net

Public  http://boonemiddle.polk-fl.net/ 6th-8th 

5.1 mi.

School Name Distance

Ridge Community Senior High http://www.ridgecommunityhigh.com

Public  9-12 

2.6 mi.

   Available Homes (10)

735 Chinoy Road 

ALLEX 

735 Chinoy Road DAVENPORT FL, 33837 

$337,490 *1,504* sq. ft.

Est. Monthly Payment

$2,091.71 monthly* 

755 Chinoy Road 

ALLEX 

755 Chinoy Road DAVENPORT FL, 33837 

$335,490 *1,504* sq. ft.

Est. Monthly Payment

$2,080.40 monthly* 

775 Chinoy Road 

ALLEX 

775 Chinoy Road DAVENPORT FL, 33837 

$338,490 *1,504* sq. ft.

Est. Monthly Payment $2,097.37 monthly* 

743 Chinoy Road 

GLENWOOD 

743 Chinoy Road DAVENPORT FL, 33837 

$347,490 *1,649* sq. ft.

Est. Monthly Payment

$2,148.31 monthly*  

AISLE  

Starting in the *$361s* *2,007* sq. ft. 

ALLEX 

Starting in the *$329s*  

GLENWOOD 

Starting in the *$339s* *1,649* sq. ft. 

JEMISON  

Starting in the *$334s* *1,614* sq. ft. 

   Nearby Communities (6)

Forest Lake 

Homes from the *$353s* *1,672 - 2,725* sq. ft. 

Atria at Ridgewood Lakes 

Homes from the *$304s* *1,673 - 1,758* sq. ft. 

Astonia 

Homes from the *$353s* *1,672 - 2,725* sq. ft.

*Amenities:* Pool, Cabana 

Astonia Express Homes 

Homes from the *$331s* *1,504 - 2,447* sq. ft.

*Amenities:* Pool, Cabana 

Feltrim Reserve 

Homes from the *$289s* *1,673 - 1,758* sq. ft. 

Charles Cove Express 

Homes from the *$333s* *1,504 - 2,447* sq. ft.

*Amenities:* Walking - Nature Trails 

   Area Information

Gazebo near new homes D.R. Horton Homes in Haines City, FL

     HAINES CITY, FL

       YOUR NEW HOME AWAITS IN POLK COUNTY!

Welcome to Polk County, located between both the Tampa and Orlando metropolitan area, a leading contributor to the state's economy and politics. Residents and visitors alike are drawn to the unique character of the county's numerous heritage sites and cultural venues, stunning natural landscapes, and many outdoor activities. Polk County includes desirable locations such as Lakeland, Davenport, Winter Haven, Haines City, and more. D.R. Horton offers Townhomes, Single-Family Homes, and Vacation Homes in this area, featuring one and two-story homes, all constructed with our spacious, open-concept floor plans. With homes available from Express, D.R. Horton, Emerald, and Freedom, we have a home for every stage in life.

       GET TO KNOW HAINES CITY, FL

Early settlers of Haines City planted citrus groves, and citrus is still part of the beautiful city today. Drive through fragrant groves on the Ridge Scenic Highway, pick an orange at Ridge Island Groves, and enjoy a slice of grapefruit pie from Taste of Florida Café; at Lang Sun Country Groves. You can also take a hike at the local State Park if you're willing to tackle one of Central Florida's most challenging trails. Located along the beautiful Lake Wales Ridge, Catfish Creek's landscape is unlike any other with tall, steep ridges of sugar sand, and ascents and descents so steep you'd think you were traversing ski slopes. Haines City is now Polk's third largest city. Residents and visitors enjoy the local beautiful lakes, championship golf courses, sports venues, and much more. You will find this community only minutes from essential shops, dining and superstores, as well as sunny parks where the family can relax and play. In Haines City, you'll be able to experience the small-town feel while still being close to world-class attraction and theme parks like Legoland. 

Here’s to getting started!

The homebuying process is all about you, and we’re looking forward to guiding you on the journey. One of our New Home Specialists will be in touch soon with the additional information you requested.

Back to Community

Here’s to getting started!

The homebuying process is all about you, and we’re looking forward to guiding you on the journey. One of our New Home Specialists will be in touch soon to confirm the date and time of your appointment request. 

   SCHEDULE A TOUR

110 Tiny Flower Road

Hours    Sun 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM    Mon - Tue 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM    Wed 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM    Thu - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Call Pete for your Davenport Newly Built Home 

Horse Creek at Crosswinds Express

110 Tiny Flower Road, Davenport, FL 33837  

407-756-3303

#new construction homes davenport fl new homes providence davenport fl new manufactured homes davenport fl new homes near davenport florid #new construction homes davenport fl #new build homes in davenport florida #new home construction davenport florida #new construction homes with pool in davenport fl

[occasionalfics]

Finding You, v

part iv

Summary: With approval from (most of) the team, you prepare to leave Earth behind and start a new life.

A/N: Sorry these are taking so long to get out! It’s the holiday rush, to be honest. Hopefully the next one will be out before next Friday (just so that it’s not another week without a chapter) XD

Tags: @fandommemporiumm

Words: 2,229

~~~

You didn't sleep much that night. You tossed and turned and wondered why you didn't hear any rain until you remembered you weren't in Missouri anymore. New York was quiet from your elevated level, and it unsettled you more than the thought of launching out of Earth’s atmosphere in the morning.

After a while of restless turning, you sighed and got out of bed. You slipped on a pair of ratty sneakers and left your room, hoping the staircase at the end of the hall would lead to the roof of the building.

You went in circles up floor after floor, realizing that you hadn’t estimated how much more of the tower there was. You also thought that the tower ended in a point - but there had to be a roof, right? Some place to sit on a flat surface and see the sky above the city?

The landing strip. You didn’t actually know what it was called, but you’d landed there in Tony Stark’s private jet two days before. Despite its name, you turned around and headed straight for it. You were out of breath as you moved through the dark hall with the bedrooms, and still struggling to catch up with yourself as you went into that front room with the bar. From there you paused, partially to catch your breath and partially because there were two other people out there already.

You moved to the entryway, leaning against the door to try to see who was out there.

“It’s still hard to think he’s gone, y’know?” you heard Peter ask. As your eyes adjusted, you noticed that he was lying against the hard surface of the walkway, arms bent behind his head.

“Yeah,” you heard the other person say. It could’ve been Nebula, but it could’ve been Kraglin, too. They didn’t have enough hair to be Gamora, and one word wasn’t much to go on.

“I know he wasn’t really my dad, but after everything with Ego, he sure felt like my dad.”

“You told me before, Pete.”

It was Kraglin. He must’ve had his legs pulled up to his chest. You could see his elbows bent and the bottoms of his boots as more and more detail came into view. His head was pointed up to the sky.

“You never told me what he was like with you,” Peter said.

Kraglin sighed. “He was my Captain,” he said. “I betrayed’im.”

Peter looked at Kraglin, sitting up just a bit. “We got a thing here,” he said. “Mob mentality. If you’re around one kind of person enough, you start to lose yourself. You were around that crew a lot longer than me. You were doing what they thought was good for them.”

Kraglin shook his head. “Don’t gotta explain it to me, Pete. I know what I did.”

There was a pause, but then Peter asked, “Is that what you dream about?”

Kraglin nodded. “Nightmares. All the time. It’s all my fault.”

Peter sat up fully and reached for Kraglin’s shoulder, but the skinnier man pulled away immediately.

“Don’t,” he whispered. You almost missed it. “I should’a stood by him. I should’a done somethin’ sooner’n I did. I couldn’ even keep him from Ego - Stars.” His head fell against his knees. You swore you saw his shoulders lurch.

Peter stared for a minute, then he looked up at the stars. “You’d be up in limbo if you did that,” he said. “All’a those men...Tullk, Darko.”

“They were my friends,” Kraglin said, just barely loud enough for you to hear. His shoulders definitely shook then, as did his whole body. “It ain’t fair!”

“It’s not,” Peter said. “But he’s up there. He’s with my mom, I know it.”

Kraglin didn’t say anything. He kept his head down, but turned it to look at Peter.

“He’s apologized for all the times he told me he was gonna eat me,” he said. “She forgave him because she believes in second chances. I think she knows what my dad was like, Kraglin. She knows what he did, and she’s thanked him for it.”

“I don’ know how I’m supposed’ta feel ‘bout that, Pete. I didn’ know your mamma.”

There was such a long silence between them that you almost stepped out into the night. You almost started a different conversation. There was so much nostalgia and pain in their voices and you barely knew who they were talking about. It had to be the Captain of that crew they were both a part of, the one Kraglin obviously avoided talking about the day before. You wanted them to say more, so you might get a name or some semblance of character.

But there was nothing.

After waiting a few minutes for someone to say something, you sighed and went out into the night. There was just enough room between them for you to sit, so you placed yourself there and crossed your legs out in front of you, resting most of your weight on your palms behind you.

You looked up at the sky and said, “It’s so clear out here.” The silence continued, so you went on. “I tried keepin’ track of constellations when I was a teenager, but there are too many stars in Missouri at night.”

“Some cultures out there think every star was a person,” Peter said.

You nodded. “Matter cannot be created or destroyed.”

More silence. You thought about asking them about the Captain, but you knew that despite Peter being your step-brother, you really didn’t know him or Kraglin that well. Maybe they’d tell you one day, you figured. You’d be patient.

You laid out, mimicking Peter’s position; hands under your head, legs still crossed in front of you. You just stared up at the sky and smiled, knowing you’d be out there in the cosmos soon. Maybe it was business as usual for someone like Kraglin and even Peter, but it was a whole new world, a whole new life for you to explore.

Speaking of Kraglin, you turned your face to him and asked, “You know, I don’t think I ever asked you where you’re from.”

He eyed you without turning his head all the way around. You watched as he leaned back on his arms. “Xandar,” he said. “‘S a lot like Terra, just with updated technology mostly. This Stark guy’s closer to what we got, though.”

“Do most people from Xandar look like you?” you asked, unsure of whether or not it was an okay question to ask. You knew some people here didn’t like things like that, so you bit your lip in anticipation of the answer.

He shrugged. “Some. We got lotsa different people that live in big cities, especially. Like here.” He pointed out to the city generally.

You nodded. “How long were you there?” you asked.

He looked at the sky again, but you caught the immediate sadness in his eyes. You didn’t know what he was sad about, but you didn’t like seeing it in those bluest blue eyes. “I ran away when I was ‘bout fifteen. Don’ really remember why. Just...wanted somethin’ more, I guess.”

You leaned up without sitting fully, but he didn’t look away from the sky. “Did you find it?” you asked.

He didn’t answer for a bit. You relaxed, thinking he hadn’t heard you. Peter didn’t say anything either, but he did look at Kraglin in anticipation. You’d gone back to stargazing, though most of the sky was clear, when he finally sighed.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I think I did.”

You must’ve fallen asleep outside. You don’t remember coming back inside or finding your room. You don’t remember shoving your shoes into a bag or plugging in your phone to charge. You woke up to its alarm, though, wondering how you got where you were. You turned the alarm off, wiped your eyes, and groaned. You couldn’t have gotten more than a few hours sleep, and now you were feeling it.

You threw your feet over the edge of the bed and put your hair in a messy bun, taking a minute to force yourself awake before standing up. You pulled your charger out of the wall, wrapped it around your hand, and got up to stow it away. You didn’t even know if you’d need it in space, or whether or not your phone would even work out there, but you might as well bring it in case, you decided. Maybe one of the Guardians could help you figure out how to make Terran devices work out there.

Before you had time to get changed and wash up, someone knocked on the door. In the midst of a yawn you called, “Come in,” as you picked up one your bags and placed it on the bed.

Kraglin stuck his head into the room, fully dressed in a red jumpsuit with dark utility gloves to match his boots. “We’re almost ready to go. You need a minute?” he asked.

You sighed. “If you don’t mind,” you said.

He shook his head, a small smile on his face suddenly. “Meet us in the front room when you’re ready,” he said.

You nodded, and then he was gone. As quickly as you could manage, you pulled a bra out of one of your bags, slid it on under your shirt as best you could, changed out of the pajama pants and into a pair of jeans, and folded the clothes you no longer needed before packing those as well. You knew you were underdressed for a launch into space, but you didn’t have anything like what Sally Ride or Mae Jemison would’ve worn. You’d never worked for NASA, after all.

You sighed and threw your bags over each shoulder, then slipped your feet into your sneakers before heading out to the front room with the bar. Everyone was standing around, some with impatient looks on their faces. Peter, however, came over and took one of your bags immediately.

“You’re late,” you heard Rocket call.

“Shut up,” Peter said, heading out to the ship, which was now at the end of the landing strip. You saw that the landing had expanded to support the weight of the ship, and that it wasn’t quite as big as you’d expected. Still, it would fit everyone with some room to spare, you thought.

“What is this building made out of?” you asked before you could stop yourself. You headed outside to hand off the other bag to Peter, not noticing that Kraglin had trailed out after you.

“Stark tried to explain it to us a week ago,” he said. “Honestly, it sounds a lot like stuff on other planets, but that guy...he’s got an awfully high opinion’a what he makes.”

You chuckled. “Maybe not everything he makes,” you said, thinking of the whole Sokovia issue. That whole thing had started with a sentient Robot Stark and Dr. Banner had made, you remembered. Tony Stark didn’t seen very pleased about that one.

As everyone boarded the ship, you realized that you were the only one not wearing one of those red jumpsuits. Drax refused to wear the top part, but his pants at least matched the rest of the group. You tried not to think too much about it - maybe they just didn’t have enough for you because they hadn’t expected you to come along. Still, you looked so out of place that you almost questioned what you were doing.

Then you watched Peter take one of the front seats on the ship. He looked over his shoulder at the group and nodded. No one else said anything about your clothes or why you were there. Mantis helped you buckle in, took the seat next to you, and smiled as the ship’s engine came to life.

Your whole body tensed as the ship shook, lifted, and zoomed into the air. You shut your eyes and took deep, infrequent breaths. The pressure in the cabin heightened, flattening you against your seat. You gripped the arms of the chair as tight as you could as the whole ship shook and lifted. You’d spent so much time thinking about being in space that you hadn’t thought about getting out there - and now you were in pain from the tension in your body and scared out of your mind.

But there was no backing out then. You heard one of the Guardians yelp out of joy, but you refused to open your eyes to see who. Your stomach lurched, your head spun, and then...then the ship was still, and your hair started to lift around you. You felt light for a moment, as if you’d float if you weren’t wearing a seatbelt. Gravity disappeared - and then it returned. You fell back against your chair, your hair fell against your shoulders again, and the tension in your fingers returned.

You forced your eyes open and looked out the cockpit window. The moon was closer than you’d ever seen it. So was Venus.

You were in Space.

You laughed because you couldn’t stop yourself. It started as little chuckles but quickly built into full-blown hysterics. Your safety belt was the only thing keeping you in your seat as your eyes watered and your throat burned through your laughter.

You could hardly believe it, but you were in Space.

#kraglin obfonteri #kraglin x reader #sfw #finding you

[edwhiteandblue]

Hidden Histories: The Lesser-Known Aspects of Manned Spaceflight

FLATs/Mercury 13

There have been many successful and influential American women astronauts over the past three decades- Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, Peggy Whiston. But these ladies were the byproducts of an unrecognized and often uncredited group of gals known as the FLATs, or First Lady Astronaut Trainees. Given that they were active during the Mercury program, they are more commonly known today as the Mercury 13.

Note: This is in no way meant to degrade the importance of or criticize certain historical figures mentioned who act as the antagonists of the story.

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Thirteen Women and Only One Man in Town

That one man was Dr. Randy Lovelace- a former doctor at NASA who took part in the medical examinations and testings of those who would become the Mercury 7 Astronauts (as well as Pete Conrad and Jim Lovell- I can’t leave out Shaky). And that town was Albuquerque, New Mexico, home of the Lovelace Clinic. The first of these women was Jerrie Cobb, a young record-breaking pilot who had been flying since she was only twelve. Lovelace and Donald Flickinger, an early expert on space medicine, asked her if she was willing to be their first subject for female astronaut training a few months earlier. While in New Mexico, she became the first woman to undergo the same tests as the Mercury candidates did. The doctors told her she had passed the tests and even performed better than the men during some. Later that year, Dr. Lovelace presented his findings to an international space conference in Stockholm, Sweden. But NASA didn’t take the bait. The multiple tests she underwent proved multiple theories- everything from pain tolerance to coping with stress. Lovelace determined that one woman undergoing experiments and tests wasn’t enough. He rounded up another eighteen accomplished women pilots- the youngest of the group was only 21 years old- to do the same as Jerrie. From January to August of 1961, they made Albuquerque their new home. They were poked, prodded, spun, tilted, and put through every other grueling task the docs could come up with. But none of them showed any sign of weakness. As Jerri Sloan Truhill once said, “We never stopped until they told us to stop. We didn’t even say ouch and, boy, they hurt us.” They were tough and determined and took whatever was thrown at them. Once those tests, the phase one tests, were over, Lovelace went over the results and concluded that thirteen of the nineteen passed with flying colors. Some did better than the men. Even at the time it was known that Ginger Rogers was just as good as Fred Astaire, but she did all the steps backwards and in high heels. Over the next months, the ladies who would become known as the Mercury 13- Myrtle “K” Cagle, Jerrie Cobb, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, Wally Funk, Sarah Gorelick (Ratley), Jane Hart, Jean Hixson, Rhea Hurrle (Woltman), Irene Leverton, Jerri Sloan (Truhill), Bernice “B” Steadman, and Gene Nora Stumbough (Jessen)- continued through the remaining phases of testing. Later on, however, the phase of testing that went on at the Naval School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola, Florida, was cancelled and NASA expressed its decision of not considering sending women into space. The organization felt there was no need to. To clear things up, I would like to state here that NASA was in no way affiliated with the Lovelace testings.

Jerrie Cobb at the MASTIF (multiple-axis space test inertia facility)

Right Stuff, Wrong Sex and Time

Now that it was proven that women were capable of being astronauts, the Mercury 13 needed to prove that women had the right to be astronauts. Jerrie Cobb and Jane Hart flew around the country in order to influence people that women could also benefit from the space program. Although President John F. Kennedy was on their side, NASA still wasn’t. Jane used her status as the wife of Senator Phillip Hart to write to members of the Senate and House space committees. She found an ally in Liz Carpenter, who was Vice President Lyndon Johnson’s executive assistant. Carpenter soon got on board and drafted a letter for Johnson to send NASA Administrator James Webb in favor of sending women into space. But Johnson, however, took the letter and wrote “Let’s Stop This Now!” in large letters across the bottom and demanded that it be filed away, never to be known about for forty years. He was determined to cease any possibility that women would fly into space. Why? Johnson felt that if women were to be allowed in space, everyone, meaning minorities, had to be allowed in space as well. And at the time, that just wasn’t something that could be done. Now, we know that’s not a problem now, but in 1962, it was. If that wasn’t bad enough, some of the Mercury 7 weren’t on their side either. Jerrie and Jane were no longer challenging just the American view that women belonged at home, but now the view that American heroes had to be white. But it wasn’t until 1983 that Guy Bluford became the first African American in space. Additionally, NASA astronauts needed to be jet pilots, an occupation women simply weren’t allowed to have. But Jerrie and Jane continued to win support from the public and the fight became a little less uneven.

Jerrie Cobb with a Mercury capsule mockup (?)

Whose Program is this, Anyway?

If NASA really believed women didn’t have a part in the space program, they would have to prove it- publicly. On July 17, 1962, Cobb and Hart sat at the witness table in front of eleven US representatives, two of which were women, to testify. Nowadays, no one questions whether or not women should still be astronauts, but in the early 60s, people couldn’t seem to wrap their heads around the idea that women could perform any of the jobs men could, much less become an astronaut. The entire country now knew the names of the other eleven FLATs. Jerrie and Jane presented the scientific data that Lovelace and his team had acquired and used it to inform the representatives that it would not cost NASA a significant amount of money to involve women in the space program. Jerrie also made it very clear that this was not a battle of the sexes but a battle for women to be part of space exploration. For a while, Jerrie and Jane were winning that battle, doing their best to convince the subcommittee that women belonged in space just as men did. But things were about to change. Enter Jackie Cochran, the first woman to break the sound barrier. Now, Cochran seems like she would be a supporter of Jerrie and Jane, right? Wrong. Just as Chuck Yeager wasn’t a fan of the space program, Jackie wasn’t a fan of the FLATs. And for the same reason- she wasn’t part of it. She was in support of Lovelace from the very start and assumed he was bringing her in for a leadership role. Also, she wanted to be tested as well. When Lovelace denied her the opportunity to be tested due to her age and previous health issues, she became furious. She also disliked all the attention Jerrie received from not only Lovelace but from the media as well (though it wasn’t always a positive thing). Jackie hated that Jerrie was viewed as the leader of the pack although in all respects she was. And so the famed pilot came to testify against the FLATs; there is no discrimination against women in the space program, there are plenty of male test pilots to do the job, and there needs to be a big enough group of abled women in order for a group of women trainees to be selected. It seemed to be a losing battle. But Jackie proposed an entirely different project, one that would study a large group of women over a long period of time. In doing so, she changed the conversation entirely. This was no longer about the FLATs, but about her own project. But this was just day one of the hearings.

Cobb and Hart during the congressional hearings

Straighten Up and Fly Right

It was July 18- only a year after Gus Grissom’s historic Mercury-Redstone 4 flight. But Grissom wasn’t the astronaut at this hearing. Rather, there were two of them- John Glenn and Scott Carpenter. If there was one thing NASA was good at doing, it was using its all-star astronauts for advocating. And who better to chose for a job like this than John Glenn? Now it was NASA’s turn to prove their point. The issue of test pilots was brought up again, as it was over the past few years, this time by two actual test pilots. Women were simply not allowed to be these kind of pilots and therefore not allowed to be astronauts. It seems logical, but then why weren’t women allowed to be test pilots to begin with? For that matter, why weren’t they largely allowed to join the military? But the thing is, NASA had already bent its own rules. It was a requirement for astronauts to have college degrees. Their very own spokesman John Glenn did not but they accepted him anyway. These women did have degrees and were all accomplished pilots like Glenn. NASA could’ve figured out a way to include the FLATs, but simply chose not to. After all, it wasn’t NASA’s fault women couldn’t be test pilots, nor was it NASA’s decision that only test pilots could be astronauts (it was President Eisenhower’s). It was then that Glenn put into words the reasons behind all the problems. “I think this gets back to the way our social order is organized, really. It is just a fact. The men go off and fight the wars and fly the airplanes and come back and help design and build and test them. The fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order.” This much was true, but why was it true? Why did it have to be that way? What about all the WASPs contributed? Cobb and Hart and the FLATs and protesters in the South and everywhere else knew that the social order as a whole needed to change. But it was the people like Glenn, Johnson, and all those who used rules and regulations to prevent change- to keep things the way they were. Despite the little jokes and jabs that were made throughout the hearings, no one ever argued that women were not strong enough or capable enough or smart enough to be astronauts. And just like that, the trials were over. No third day testimony. The subcommittee suggested to NASA that it continue what it was doing just the way it currently was. James Webb swore Jackie Cochran in as a consultant to replace Cobb, who had let her contract expire months earlier. And if that wasn’t bad enough, once again the Soviet Union had beat the United States in the Space Race: In 1963, Valentine Tereshkova became the first woman in space. One would think Soviet competition would fuel even this American feat just as it fueled every other American space goal, right? Jerrie, Jane, Dr. Lovelace, and the rest of the Female Lady Astronaut Trainees had lost the battle. Well, they lost their battle.

Cobb, Senator Victor Anfuso, and Hart hold an Atlas-Centaur model

Ride, Sally, Ride

Scott Carpenter once said the Mercury 13 were ahead of their time. He was right. The social order changed dramatically in the 1960s, and by 1978, women were finally ready to be accepted into the astronaut corps The first astronaut class to be selected after the Space Race had ended was the Thirty-Five New Guys, or TFNG. Chief Astronaut John Young and Director of Flight Operations George Abbey selected a very diverse group- an Asian American, three African Americans, and finally, six women. I bring up John Young not only because he is my favorite, but because he was selected as an astronaut the same year as the congressional hearings. Now he was willing to turn and face the changes. These six girls- Sally Ride, Shannon Lucid, Judy Resnick, Rhea Seddon, Anna Fischer, and Kathy Sullivan- became what the Mercury 13 never had a chance to become. They still had to prove that they were not only as good as, but could be better than the men, just as the FLATs did. And they were successful. But it wasn’t until 1983, twenty years after Tereshkova’s flight, that Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on STS-7. It wasn’t until 1999 that Eileen Collins would become the first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission. No longer were women the passengers. Women got to truly fly.

(L-R top) Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, Anna Fischer, and Judy Resnik (L-R bottom) Sally Ride and Rhea Seddon

(L-R) Gene Nora Jessen, Wally Funk, Jerrie Cobb, Jerri Truhill, Sarah Rutley, Myrtle Cagle and Bernice Steadman in front of Space Shuttle Discovery at LC-39B, 1995. This was Eileen Collin’s first flight even though she didn’t command it.

Info about the Mercury 13 from the US Air Force Space and Missile Museum, Launch Complex 26 on Cape Canaveral.

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So there you have it, the true story of the Mercury 13. The book I used for reference was the first space history book I ever read and I give it credit for getting me interested in it. Before I had John Young and Jim Lovell, I had Jerrie Cobb and Jane Hart. This is also the first of this series-type thing I’ll be doing from now on every Saturday. I wanted the Mercury 13 to be first because of how important they are to me personally. Plus today, September 2, is both Christa McAuliffe’s birthday and the return to Earth of Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the ISS and the current American record holder for most days spent in space. Anyway, I hope y’all enjoyed this and learned something! The last time I read this was before I had any idea what the Mercury program and the Space Race were, so it’s nice to read it again with plenty of background knowledge. Tune it (or log on I guess) next week for the next Hidden History, one of my personal favorites: the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program.

(Sources below the cut)

Info source: Almost Astronauts: Thirteen Women who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone; info.nasa.gov

Pictures: gettyimages; nasa.gov; my camera; other pictures I’ve had on my computer for a while

Title sources: “Thirteen Women”- song by Bill Haley; “Straighten Up and Fly Right”- song by Nat King Cole and Irving Mills; “Ride, Sally, Ride”- lyrics to the song “Mustang Sally” by Mack Rice (phrase was used by newspapers in ‘83 when Ride became the first American woman astronaut)

#Hidden Histories #Mercury 13

[djvader]

The Year of 1992... Riots, Olympics, Clinton, Tyson goes to Jail, Dahmer goes to Jail too, Mc Donalds Hot Coffee Burns, Windows 3.1, Dr. Mae Jemison travels to space, Cartoon Network begins, I graduated high school, Sinèad O'Conner rips a photo of the pope on live TV, The First Text Message is Sent, Diana and Charles split, Kyrie Irving was born and HIP HOP was GREAT!!! Here's a tribute to the Class of 1992 a whomping 80 minutes of hits! Enjoy this gift! Shut Em Down - Public Enemy Tonights the Night - Redman Passing Me By - Pharcyde Mic Check - Das Efx How to roll a blunt - Redman Who said me a dun - Cutty Ranks Ting a Ling - Shabba Ranks Ghetto Red Hot - Super Cat Nuthin but a G thang - Dre / Snoop 187 - Spice 1 Poor Georgie - MC Lyte Take it EZ - Common Who Got the Props - Black Moon Straighten it out - Pete Rock and CL Smooth Rebirth of Slick - Digable Planets Blue Funk - Heavy D Gangsta B - Apache The Headbanger - EPMD Punks jump up to get beat down - Brand Nubian Funky Child - Lords of the Underground Take it Personal - Gang Starr Hot Sex - Tribe Called Quest Never Gonna Get it - En Vogue Real Love (Remix) - Mary J / Biggie Party and BullSh - Biggie Back to the hotel - N2Deep How I can just kill a man - Cypress Hill Crossover - EPMD Method Man - Method Man Scenario - Tribe / Native Tongues Exodus - X-Clan Don't be afraid - Aaron Hall Set adrift of memory bliss - PM Dawn Tennessee - Arrested Development I wanna Love you - Jade What goes around (360) - Grand Puba Check Yo Self - Ice Cube / Das Efx They want Efx - Das Efx Jump (remix) - Kriss Kross / Super Cat Jump Around - House of Pain Choice is yours - Blacksheep Uptown Anthem - Naughty by Nature Protect your neck - Wu Tang Soul Clap - Showbiz and AG Time 4 Some Aksion - Redman Faking the funk - Main Source Buddy X - Nenah Cherry / Biggie Rump Shaker - Wreckz n Effect Ain't too proud to beg - TLC T.R.O.Y. - Pete Rock and CL Smooth Got your backpacks ready? Please support these artist and thank you for listening! Share, Tag, Enjoy! https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/wtfuradio/episodes/2017-12-14T1

[thethistlegirlwrites]

Unwanted

“We’ve got a victim sample that needs testing,” Shay says, passing a vial of blood over the counter to Dina. 

“A living one?” Dina asks, already turning around to the trays in the massive fridges behind her. There’s two of them, one with a heartbeat inside a red heart stenciled on the glass, the other with a black skull. A bit graphic, but a good reminder which one samples from the living and samples from the dead go into. 

“Yeah.”

Shay doesn’t spend a lot of time in the labs, but he’s starting to pick up on the rhythms. Living samples get priority aside from dead that have upcoming burial dates, especially when family has requested answers needing to know if they ought to pursue cremation instead. 

The two orange trays on the bottom of the dead fridge are new. 

“Starting a new system, Di?”

“Oh, just improving on the current one. These are the ones that come over from county morgues and the prisons. Unclaimed bodies with suspected venom infection. We have a ten-day window to test them unless someone makes a claim, so aside from special cases, we can leave them a little longer.” She sighs. “I hate having to triage like this at all, but…”

“You’re doing the best you can. Everyone in here is.” Shay starts to leave, then stops. “Wait, you said ten day cooling off period for unclaimed bodies?”

“Yeah. Not sure why that’s the rule, but oddly enough it doesn’t affect the fledglings. They still turn like they were at the moment of death. I watched an autopsy and two days later saw the guy walking around downtown with his shirt flung open and not a single scar on him.”

That’s a weird story and if he was in a different mood Shay would have a lot of questions about it, but right now, he has a more pertinent one.

“I was buried a lot sooner.”

Di stops with her hand on the fridge handle.

She’s got that look on her face that she has when someone who’s come in for testing gets their results back positive. 

“If whoever can claim the body waives the right to, the authorities can decide what to do as soon as they get that refusal.”

It’s worse than he thought. He wasn’t just unclaimed, just a forgotten footnote to his family.

For things to happen the way they did…he was outright rejected.

“I’m sorry.” Di’s voice is the soft consolation he didn’t ever expect to be directed at him. After all, it wasn’t like he could get worse news than ‘you are literally already a vampire’. 

Apparently, ‘you are a vampire no one wanted’ is in fact worse.

He makes it through reports and picking Sierra up from the infirmary (again) in a haze. All he wants to do is go home and go to sleep and hope he doesn’t feel this awful when he gets up. His body may not have been left to decompose for ten days, and it wouldn’t really have mattered if it had, but he feels pretty zombie-movie-rotten right now.

Rotten enough he forgot they were planning to meet Joey and Nico for drinks this morning. Sierra’s insisting on going, chucking her arm sling in the back seat the second they get to the car. “I’m not missing celebrating Joey’s promotion for a little glass cut.”

“Little glass cut that needed fourteen stitches,” Shay reminds her, but as usual, she ignores him.

She’s excited, and riding adrenaline and painkillers and the success story of the mentor program (say what she will about not being a good fit for it herself, she takes a lot of pride in what their team has done to promote it), and he figures that’s why she doesn’t notice he’s being so quiet.

Then again, maybe she’s worried he’s thinking about the college kid that sample he dropped off came from, and trying to keep him from sinking into a broody little heap of depression if it turns out the kid is in for the same hell he went through.

If that’s the case, he appreciates the effort. But he doesn’t really want to talk to anyone tonight.

Still, for Joey, he’ll make the effort. She’s doing really well; her family is an excellent motivator and given she was already existing on the fringes of society, transitioning into the new kind of life she has to lead now seems to be a little less jarring than it is for some people. 

She and Nico, along with Pete and Saanvi (neither of them had actual physical injuries and finish their reports inhumanly fast) are already waiting at a corner table at the Luna when Sierra and Shay walk in. Wren’s not there, but Emma gets a little touchy about fae and their magic in her bar, so she rarely makes an appearance here. Shay can’t blame her. She’s no fire fae, but one mini-tornado is enough. 

He makes a mental note to tell Emma her new bouncer didn’t do a thorough enough job checking for their entry marks. He let Sierra in with Shay on blind faith that she was with him and therefore trustworthy.

He’s still subbing shifts when he can, but more and more of his nights are taken up on the task force.

Joey jumps up to wave them over, still wearing her blue “Nico’s Custodial” t-shirt that stands out like a neon sign under the lights. He can see why she hasn’t changed, the logo on her chest now has the words “Team Manager” underneath it. She’s got to be proud. He is.

If he could just forget about the whole rejection thing, tonight would be amazing.

They’re a couple rounds in (and one hilarious - for everyone but Pete - mixup of shot glasses) when Joey stops answering questions about her job and starts asking everyone else how their day was. 

Sierra gives a wildly inaccurate version of how she got her injury, Pete and Saanvi tag-team explanations of whatever accounting-savvy thing it was they did to get the address of the place, and Joey even elbows Nico until he tells her about spending three hours on the phone with a supply vendor trying to find out how they were sent seven boxes of window cleaner spray bottles instead of ten jugs of bathroom sanitizer.

“What? I’m not going to work with you every day anymore,” she says when he protests that they literally work at the same company. 

And Shay knows he’s not getting out of this one with his secret intact.

“How about you? You look like you got sucker-punched,” Joey says. “I mean, not like I saw that happen too often…” 

Sierra chuckles, but it dies off as soon as she looks at him. 

“She’s right. I didn’t scare you that bad, did I?” She looks at Joey. “I was totally embellishing that story for dramatic effect. I only fell down two flights of stairs.”

He sighs. He’s going to have to tell someone at some point, because the way this is going, it’s going to eat at him like the poison that ran in his veins.

“Long story but…uh…I found out in a roundabout way from Di that my family had to have rejected any claim on my body for me to get buried when I did.”

“What the fuck?” Nico asks. He’s the only one able to get a word out.

“There’s a ten day waiting period on unclaimed bodies unless whoever is contacted about picking them up refuses to.” He looked it up while he was working on his report. The legalese was hard to read, but the gist was right. “I was buried after three.”

Sierra’s hand is wrapped white-knuckled around the handle of her knife. “Give me names.”

“No.” Honestly she probably wouldn’t have a hard time tracking his parents down, and he doesn’t think she’d actually commit a murder over something like this, but… “Sorry about that. I just totally killed the good mood.”

“No, we’re sorry. That you got stuck with such a terrible excuse for blood family,” Pete says.

Shay catches Sierra and Nico looking at each other and kicks Sierra’s foot under the table. “No one is going on any vigilante vengeance sprees. It’s over and done with. A long time ago.”

“Not if it’s still hurting you like this, it’s not.” 

Joey has a point. 

He’d like to bury this six feet deep, like whoever was in charge of dead prisoners did with him, but you can’t bury pain. There’s no getting this out of his head. It’s a permanent piece of who he is, just like being a vampire. Unwanted, rejected, refused.

He’d known his family didn’t approve of any of what his life became, and honestly he wouldn’t expect anyone’s to. But they didn’t even want his body when it was all over. 

“Screw blood family. We're a ‘blood’ family,” Sierra says. “I think it ought to mean something that you’ve drunk my blood and Pete’s.” She stops. “Wait. I just made our thing really weird, didn’t I. Shit.”

“I can’t decide if this is better or worse than the stain collection thing,” Pete groans. “Great job, Van Helsing.”

And once again, the table is laughing. 

Sierra may have royally weirded out everyone, but Shay has to admit, she’s kind of right. If Joey can get her citizenship based on where she turned, where her home earth is, then maybe waking up undead is a kind of rebirth. Maybe you get a new family. If that’s the case, then Sierra and Pete are pretty much the first people he interacted with in a real way afterward. Which does sort of make them one very messy, complicated, sometimes dysfunctional family. Somewhere along the way, they’ve added Saanvi, and Wren, and he’s pulled in Joey and with her, Nico (even if sometimes their abrasive banter makes it sound like they want to kill each other).

He can live with that. Or…you know…not.

(You can read this story and others from this universe on my WorldAnvil here!)

@catwingsathena @nade2308 @the-one-and-only-valkyrie @telltaleclerk @ettawritesnstudies  @writeouswriter @whump-place @the-lovely-wren

#febuwhump #febuwhump2024 #febuwhumpday27 #left for dead #vampire whump #rejection #shane barrett #sierra aguirre-stoker #pete jemison #saanvi desai #josefina quintero #domenico pontevecchio

[thethistlegirlwrites]

I saw a "3 reasons you won't like my novel" template going around on Instagram a bit ago, and while that's FUN (and I did make one I'll eventually post over to here), I think this version might be FUNNIER. Honestly the hardest part was narrowing the reasons my OCs are mad at me down to one per character...

@catwingsathena @nade2308 @the-one-and-only-valkyrie @telltaleclerk @ettawritesnstudies  @writeouswriter

#compass #sierra aguirre-stoker #pete jemison #shane barrett

[thethistlegirlwrites]

If the "Scary Ghost Stories" are a classic Christmas tradition you wish would come back...I wrote one! Sort of! Featuring my chaotic little team of characters from Compass.

Going home to Pete's Appalachian family for Christmas was supposed to be an escape from work life for a week. But when Pete's five year old niece is bitten by a vampire, Sierra, Pete, and Shay are back on the clock...in more ways than one. 

You can read it on my WorldAnvil here: http://tinyurl.com/4at24mav

Or on my author site here: http://tinyurl.com/y3k2jjcs

(Yes, I wrote it in a week and it might be a bit messy, and I'm totally spoiling the ending of Compass for everyone, but like I said yesterday, some writing advice can be ignored sometimes and I'd rather be sharing fun Christmas stories than worrying about any of that!)

@catwingsathena @nade2308 @the-one-and-only-valkyrie @telltaleclerk @ettawritesnstudies

#christmas ghost stories #or more accurately #christmas vampire stories #compass #sierra aguirre-stoker #pete jemison #shane barrett

[thethistlegirlwrites]

Name: Peter "Pete" Jemison Species: Human Age: 28 Powers: Second Sight (the ability to see through fae glamour and most magic) Physical description: He's 6', and walks with a slight hunch like he's trying to make himself smaller. He has blond hair cut somewhat short, and wears a pair of wire-rimmed glasses at all times. He has dark blue eyes that to most people just seem a little too perceptive, but to someone who knows he has Second Sight are clearly seeing THROUGH whatever magic front someone might have put up. He has long fingers that are always in motion, either fidgeting with something in his hands, tapping away on his computer, or munching on some snack. Personality: Quiet, studious, shy. He's not one for large groups and prefers to have a few trusted people in his inner circle and mostly interact with them. He's a wallflower at any agency event. Background: Pete grew up in the hill country of Tennessee, where his Second Sight was just part of longstanding family lore and tradition. His area was stepped in old folklore and magic traditions, and he learned from his great-grandmother, who possessed the strongest Second Sight gift in the family, how to use it wisely and well. Pete was always more interested in the outside world than most of his family, and ended up being the first of them to go to college instead of staying at home on the family farm and running the distillery business. However, his years as a teenager managing the cash register and working with the books had told him he had a distinct gift for numbers, and he ended up studying to become a forensic accountant, given his knack for seeing through front businesses. He was at a training conference in Los Angeles when he witnessed a mugging where he noticed the perpetrator was not human, and when hunter authorities showed up on the scene to arrest the vampire, and he gave his statement, they offered him a job upon graduation, since someone with an eye for details and the ability to detect magic is always an asset to their job. He was partnered with Sierra when she joined the agency. He's the 'brains' and she's the 'brawn' in a team that's dedicated to bringing down illegal blood harvesting rings and also funding sources for anti-vampire hate groups. Other: Pete is a good musician and singer. His family grew up playing a variety of instruments, and his favorite is his harmonica that he almost always keeps in a pocket. Sometimes if he's stuck on a case, he'll start playing, since the music can help his brain rearrange numbers in a way that makes sense.

Taglist:

@nade2308 @catwingsathena @the-one-and-only-valkyrie @telltaleclerk @floh673

#compass #pete jemison #character introduction #hunter #vampire hunters

[thethistlegirlwrites]

1. What’s your oc’s most irrational fear? Is there a specific reason this fear came about?

3. What does your oc’s voice sound like? (Or, if you have one, what’s their voiceclaim?) Can they sing, whistle, or roll their rs? Do they have any speech impediments or notable dialects/accents?

7. What song reminds you of this oc? Does this match up with the type of music your oc likes to listen to?

10. Who’s the first person your oc goes to to talk about something that made them happy? Sad? Angry?

18. How does your oc see themself? How does this compare to the way other ocs see them?

21. What’s a fact you haven’t shared about this oc?

28. What’s your favorite thing about this oc?

For all of your OCs

This is from AGES ago, but I just found it while answering your other ask so you may have asked this for one crew but you're getting it for the Compass squad and associated OCs now...somehow I don't think you'll be too upset about that ;)

What’s your oc’s most irrational fear? Is there a specific reason this fear came about? Sierra - Sierra wouldn't admit it to anyone but she's incredibly scared that zombies will turn out to be as real as vampires. She can handle the undead feeding on her blood, but she draws the line at brains. Pete - Pete has a fear of elevators. He wasn't around anything like that as a kid but the cage ones that went down into the mines, and when his class went in one on a field trip it was so noisy and swayed so much and the mesh cage sides didn't feel safe enough. Shay - Since he became a vampire, Shay has had a recurring nightmare of bringing in ants with his home earth and them crawling into his ears while he sleeps. Honestly, he'll take it, it's the least disturbing nightmare he has. Saanvi - Ever since she put her foot into a shoe as a small child, only to find a frog inside it, Saanvi can't stand the texture of them. She's okay seeing them from a distance or in pictures, but she just can't touch them or anything else slimy like that. Wren - Wren spent her whole childhood afraid that she was going to grow a bird's beak to match the latent feathering in her shoulder blades. It never happened, and her parents reassured her that wasn't part of her air fae gifting, but once in a while she still thinks of it when she wakes up. Joey - Honestly, Joey's 'irrational' fear is that she'll hurt her family even after she's under mentorship in Chimera's program, and that takes her a long time to get over. But the one her siblings tease her about is the time a lizard fell off the wall, landed on her face, and she screamed and woke up the whole house then refused to sleep without a laundry basket over her head for the next week. Nico - Nico is afraid of dogs. He was never bitten, he just doesn't like them barking at him, ever since he was a kid. After he turned, he liked them even less, because a lot of dogs don't like vampires. He tends to avoid them as much as possible.

What does your oc’s voice sound like? (Or, if you have one, what’s their voiceclaim?) Can they sing, whistle, or roll their rs? Do they have any speech impediments or notable dialects/accents?  Sierra - Sierra has a Texas accent that gets stronger when she's under stress or in pain, and she has been known to switch into Spanglish when she gets highly emotional, but that's pretty rare. Pete - Pete's Tennessee accent is still strong after several years on the west coast. He'll intentionally make it sound a little stronger if he wants people to look at him like a dumb hick if that helps him get the information he needs. Shay - Shay's voice is normally deep and a little rough, but he has a higher singing register than his speaking voice would imply, and the fangs he's still getting used to give him a slight lisp. Saanvi - Saanvi has a pretty pronounced Indian accent, and part of her role in Chimera's forensic accounting team is getting information by posing as a customer service rep or call center operator because of people's assumptions based on her accent. Wren - Wren's voice is whatever she needs it to be. She's an accomplished vocal mimic, a fae gift that's somewhat rarer than physical glamours. Her natural voice changes to match her area like a chameleon, so she often has an LA sound. Joey - Joey has a Venezuelan accent she worked hard to squash when she was trying to blend in in LA, so it's not as strong as a first generation immigrant would generally have, but it's still clearly noticeable in her voice. Nico - Nico has a very strong New York, specifically Bronx, accent that he hasn't shaken in the least even after moving to LA. It's sort of a trademark of his now, and he likes that people know exactly who they're talking to when they get him on the phone.

What song reminds you of this oc? Does this match up with the type of music your oc likes to listen to?  Sierra - Highway Star by Deep Purple (yes, her uncle John got her hooked on classic rock) Pete - Country Roads by John Denver (he's a folk music guy so yes) Shay - The Unforgiven II by Metallica (Yes, Shay seems like he'd enjoy the raw emotion of Metallica) Saanvi - Drag Me To The Grave by Black Veil Brides (not really, she tends to listen to softer sounding music) Wren - Kids in America by Kim Wilde (Wren's taste is so eclectic it probably works) Joey - True Colors by Cyndi Lauper (Haven't quite decided on her music taste yet but it seems a little too sappy and old school for her) Nico - If You Only Knew by Shinedown (I can see him listening to an instrumental cover of it)

Who’s the first person your oc goes to to talk about something that made them happy? Sad? Angry?  Sierra - Sierra's not much for talking. She'd rather punch something if she's mad or sad, so she usually finds Shay for a sparring session. And if she's happy, she probably finds him for big spinning hug. Pete - Pete tends to talk to Sierra about things even if she's spacing out and not listening to him in the car on a stakeout or similar. He uses it as sort of 'rubber duck debugging'. Shay - Shay isn't used to having people he can talk to about any of it, but after Sierra keeps showing up when she needs the decompression, he starts doing the same with her. Saanvi - Saanvi calls home. No matter the time, her hunter parents will always answer their phones, and she appreciates their advice and insight into any situations she feels unprepared to handle. Wren - Wren doesn't tell many people about any aspect of her life. She tends to sort things out on her own and cope by spending time in nature or journaling. Joey - Joey used to talk to her aunt about most things, although she kept a lot of secrets to avoid either worrying her aunt or making her complicit in Joey's less than legal ways of making money if Joey was ever caught. Now, as Nico's mentee, she usually goes to him because vampire emotions are a whole new case. Nico - Nico tends to withdraw when he's upset, and if he's happy, he calls Ricky. Even if all he gets is a voicemail, he wants to tell his kid the good news, and hopes that someday, Ricky will want to reciprocate.

How does your oc see themself? How does this compare to the way other ocs see them?  Sierra - Sierra sees herself as someone who has messed up in a big way and is clawing herself back from that, even as a lot of her fellow hunters think of her as a hero for her actions. Pete - Pete sees himself as the background support of his team, and while that's a pretty accurate picture of his job, his coworkers know he's a lot more than just the numbers guy. Shay - Shay sees himself as a monster at first, then as someone sort of on probation. He doesn't really trust himself, and most people don't trust him either. They see the criminal records and the murder charges even though they were overturned. His closest friends know the truth, and that's usually enough for him. Saanvi - Saanvi sees herself as continuing the family legacy. Her family sees the same thing in her, as she's been trained from a young age to be a hunter like her parents. Around Chimera she's more often seen as an accounting genius, but has proven herself more than capable in a fight. Wren - Wren sees herself as a survivor. While she's none too forthcoming with the details of her past, it wasn't an easy one. Other people tend to see her as a wild card, and as someone they know better than to get on the bad side of. Joey - Joey sees herself as first and foremost the protector of her family, even if from herself. Ever since her mother's death, her entire identity has been wrapped up in caring for her brother and sister. The people around her can also see that, and respect her for the level of dedication she has to that role. Nico - Nico sees himself as someone trying to make some sense out of an un-life he didn't ask for. He feels guilty about what happened when he first turned and is trying to make up for that. Most of the people around him think he's doing a lot of good, but don't see the pain motivating that.

What’s a fact you haven’t shared about this oc?  Sierra - Sierra enjoys line dancing and used to have a lot of fun going to the local bars in Amarillo that had dance floors. She drags her team to the ones she finds in LA sometimes and has pretty much forced Shay to learn to dance with her. Pete - Pete learned to carve wood from his great-grandfather, and still has the horn-handled knife he inherited. Shay - Shay liked to sing before he turned. He's still getting used to how his voice sounds with fangs, but he's started to again. Saanvi - Saanvi travels home to see her family every year. She can't always make it at the same times, but she tries to get there near her birthday and Diwali. Wren - Wren, despite appearing to be in her early thirties, is actually about two hundred years old and spent most of that life as a hustler, singer, and dancer. Chimera is her first genuinely on the books and fully legal job. Joey - Joey kept her bite scar covered with a braided bracelet before her turn. She made matching ones for her and her siblings, and always told them the three strands were the three of them, stronger together. Nico - Nico damaged his knee when he was twenty-seven in a hunt, and has a slight limp that followed him into his turn. It doesn't affect him too often, but it does slow him down sometimes or ache when he works in buildings with concrete or other hard floors.

What’s your favorite thing about this oc?  Sierra - She's an absolute mess and I love that about her. She's done some really terrible stuff and she's doing her best to make up for it but she's clumsy and rough about it. I love that she's trying but is bad at it (Might also be projecting onto her a lot). Pete - I love how 'normal guy' Pete is, stuck in between Sierra and Shay and trying to keep them from killing each other before they will be rational adults and talk about things. Don't envy his job, but love him. Shay - I love the angstiness of his whole arc. He thought things were over, and then got an un-life he didn't really want, and his attempt to get that over with went spectacularly wrong, then kind of right in the end. He's just trying to cope with the hand he's been dealt and has gotten almost as messed up as Sierra in the process. He's literally just along for the ride for most of the story and most of his life in general. Saanvi - I'm really fond of writing Saanvi because she's so quiet and reserved that you'd expect her to be an easy target, and then she just turns around and does something like stab a vampire with a hundred year old punch dagger (a killing blow, too). Wren - Wren's 'malicious compliance' approach to following the rules is going to be really fun to play with. I haven't written her much yet but I love the idea of playing with a character who follows the rules in ways that STILL make her mischievous. Joey - I love Joey because she's so DIFFERENT from most of the characters I write. She wants something, badly, and that something is her family. I tend to write my female characters as the more emotionally closed off (again, projecting), so someone as open and vulnerable as Joey was new territory. She's a departure from my norm, and that's been fantastic to explore. Nico - I love Nico because he's trying so hard to be there for everyone else when his own life is falling apart. He can fix things for other people but he can't fix the mess his own family became when he turned. He and Joey are both more openly emotional than a lot of the characters I write (might have something to do with my finally chipping away at some of what created a few of my hard walls while creating these two).

#asks #compass #sierra aguirre-stoker #pete jemison #shane barrett #saanvi desai #wren #josefina quintero #domenico pontevecchio

[thethistlegirlwrites]

Hiya, how are you doing today?

* hc + 👻 for a headcanon about supernatural occurrences

Please and thank you!

I'm doing well! Thank you for the ask! (those always make my day even better)

I'll do this one for Pete...

Pete's family first realized he had Second Sight at the age of six when he started talking about someone they thought he was referring to as Annie Willard. He said she lived in the lake and brought him things she found on the bottom. They eventually found out she was the water-fae wife his great-great uncle had married back in the 1890s, who was referred to by his grandmother, when looking through family photo albums, as Auntie Willow. Having returned to the lake after the loss of her husband, she was still watching out for her family and checking in on them through her young relative.

Asks from this post!

#asks #pete jemison #compass

[thethistlegirlwrites]

15 for all of them?

15: Is your character dangerous? Do they think they are? ...for the squad!

Thank you so much for the ask!!!!

--- Compass

Sierra - Yes and yes. Sierra was a vigilante vampire hunter before she was recruited by an agency, and she is the sort of person to shoot first and ask questions later. She's honed her skills and is well aware of what she's capable of.

Pete - More than he thinks he is, actually. Pete doesn't see the results of his work as often, given he's on the forensic accounting side of the hunting process, but he's capable of unleashing a lot of chaos on an organization if he finds the right financial pressure points.

Shay - Yes, but he's LESS dangerous than he believes himself to be. Like most vampires who are not turned hunters, Shay doesn't really know what vampire un-life is like, and thinks that he will remain in the bloodthirsty fledgling phase permanently. Thus, his lack of resistance at being taken to what is basically a death sentence.

Saanvi - Saanvi is dangerous if cornered, and she doesn't always realize that until the time comes. She reacts in a moment, without a lot of planning as to her responses to danger.

Wren - Wren is very dangerous, but occasionally overestimates her intimidation factor, which is how she sometimes ends up on medical leave. She's a master manipulator, though, and doesn't often need to rely on her brute strength.

Joey - Joey thinks she is much more dangerous than she actually is, with the caveat that if you are a threat to her family or the people she considers family, she is the shadow you don't see coming until it's too late. But in terms of how dangerous her vampirism makes her, Joey is much like Shay in that she doesn't fully understand how being a vampire can progress and how it can be controlled.

Nico - Nico is dangerous, but keeps it under control. He was a hunter before he turned, and working with a bit of a rogue type of agency besides, so he has a skill set from that as well as his vampire powers. And never, ever, underestimate a threat from the cleaning crew. They KNOW how to sanitize a crime scene.

--- Magic & Silver

Robin - Robin's opinion of how dangerous he is shifts over time. Sometimes, he feels like his fae powers are a curse, and he's wondered if he's in some way responsible for his mother's death, but for the most part, he understands his spot in the natural order and where he falls on a 'food chain'.

John - John is dangerous and definitely knows that. He's been trained since he was a child to know how to hunt and kill vampires, and he likes his dangerous side, actively pointing it out whenever possible.

Kira - Kira made herself dangerous. She taught herself to kill vampires, and gained a reputation as a vigilante before being folded into an agency. She's a force to be reckoned with because she's never let anything slow her down, and as a black Deaf woman she's had plenty of things standing in her way.

Emma - Emma is dangerous and proud of it. It's an asset in her line of work. She's got more morals, and more of a soft side, than she shows the world, but she actively projects the image of a heartless, power-hungry vampire to everyone but her closest friends.

Cody - Cody is probably the least actively dangerous to anyone but himself member of the M&S crew. He's been known to make snap decisions and to trust people without a lot of reason given, but that's also how he and Robin met, so it's worked out okay for him.

Maira - Maira is a master of political manipulation. She doesn't need to be physically dangerous to be intimidating. She's good at reading people and using their secrets against them at the right time. Thankfully, she uses her powers for good.

--- Scrapbook

Lina - Lina is dangerous if you do something to make her see you as a threat. She's a journalist, so she's good at playing the long game, but once you are in her books as a villain, it would take a lot to get you back in her good graces, and she WILL dedicate herself to taking you DOWN for good.

Matti - Matti is technically dangerous by nature of what he is, but he's grown up knowing what he is and how to control it. He's like a big dog, looking scary but really just wanting to be friends, even if sometimes that means you get a bit squashed.

Jim - Jim is potentially dangerous, because he has fae magic he doesn't even know he has, much less how to control, but for the most part it's benign stuff like glamours and plant affinities that the danger is in knowing how to use and actively manipulating. He doesn't want to hurt anyone with any of it, so unless it was defending his life, even his lack of control won't do much more than cause some weird looks. If he's put in mortal danger, or one of his friends is, though, there's every chance the magic will break free on its own.

From this ask game

#magic & silver #compass #scrapbook of the unexplained #sierra aguirre-stoker #pete jemison #shane barrett #saanvi desai #wren #josefina quintero #domenico pontevecchio #angus Robinson #robin #john stoker #kira burke #emma cole #cody dayton #maira lawson #lina shaw #matti brinkerhoff #jim mcbride

[thethistlegirlwrites]

Money Talks

Sierra shoves open the door to the debriefing room, leaning against it for a moment. She isn’t too fond of rehashing the events of a patrol when she’s been awake for fifteen hours and mildly concussed for two of those, but there is an upside. Free food.

She grimaces when she sees the countertop clean, no platter of bagels or donuts resting on top. Damn it, I was counting on something. She really shouldn’t, it’s sort of an unspoken rule that admin staff rotate through bringing in food, and not everyone remembers.

She pours herself a mug of coffee from the carafe sitting on the hot plate. She doesn’t normally like cream, but there’s some of the real stuff in the shared fridge and she really shouldn’t drink black coffee on an empty stomach. She has enough problems. 

The cream smells a little off, but it doesn’t taste bad enough to make her dump it down the sink, so she pours a generous helping into her coffee and finds a chair. 

She thinks about tossing her jacket on the back, but the air conditioning in the room is already making her fingers feel a bit stiff and chilly, so she just slouches a little further into the chair, letting the jacket collar ride up her neck and wrapping her fingers tighter around the coffee cup. 

Teams report by seniority, unless there’s been a major bust or someone has time-sensitive information, and given she and Pete have only about four months’ experience right now, they’re close to the bottom of the pecking order. It’s going to be a while. 

She takes a sip of her coffee. It’s slightly scorched, and the cream is definitely past its prime, but it’s something in her stomach. Hopefully she can drink enough to trick it into not growling by the time she has to report. 

“Sierra?” A bony elbow digs into her side, and she jumps, spilling coffee on her thighs, then hissing a curse between her teeth as she tries to wipe it off. 

She looks up, and realizes Carter and Stevenson have somehow been replaced by Ramirez and Walker. She’s managed to sleep through everyone with eight years of seniority without realizing it. That’s at least four teams’ reports. Her blood sugar must really have tanked. 

“You okay?” Pete asks.

“Yeah, just tired.” She shrugs. “And it’s a slow night.”

“You’re not wrong.” He shifts in his chair. “The only thing you really missed was Hayashi’s team arresting a vamp with a teenage host at one of the downtown clubs.”

She’s going to start making mistakes if this keeps up. Falling asleep in debriefing is one thing. Everyone nods off at one point or another in there. But that kind of exhaustion can be deadly in the field. And she knows this is far more than simple boredom.

She’s been dragging herself out of bed after slapping her alarm clock into snooze at least twice. She’s wearing a long sleeved button down and leather jacket when most of the rest of the city is in t-shirts. She can barely focus long enough to turn her field notes into coherent reports.

But it’s come down to gas in the car or food on her table, and anyone who knows Sierra Aguirre-Stoker knows which one she’s going to pick. 

She forces herself to stay awake through the rest of the reports by alternately digging her fingernails into her palms and biting the inside of her cheek. The taste of blood when she accidentally closes her teeth on the edge of her tongue adds a metallic tinge to the already bitter coffee. 

She makes it through her report with minimal issues, they had a quiet night themselves, and since her team is the newest formed, she’s able to bolt for her desk as soon as it’s over. She only has to fill out two incident reports, and then she can go home and sleep.

She drives home on autopilot, risky in LA morning traffic, and statistically more likely to kill her than even her job, but the last time she crashed on the agency couch instead, Uncle John found her and every member of his team offered her a ride home or a place to crash. She doesn’t want their pity. She wants to prove she’s worth the name she chose to add to her own. 

She grabs the handful of mail stuffed into the little metal hanger outside her apartment door. Packages have to be picked up at the office, but despite complaints of stolen mail from the residents, a locking mailbox system has yet to be installed anywhere.

Sierra glimpses a red stamp on the outside of one of the envelopes as she tosses them onto the scarred counter and figures no one is going to want to steal her mail. 

She opens the fridge out of habit, even though the only thing it is a dessicated lime she should have thrown away weeks ago. She opens the silverware drawer for a knife, dragging its nicked edge through the envelopes that need it, tossing junk circulars into the trash. She doesn’t want to trade in her car for a model a year ahead of date, she can’t afford a new kitchen and her landlord would never approve a remodel anyway, and there’s not enough in her bank account to invest in anything, no matter how good the rates are. 

She leaves the red-stamped envelope until last. Honestly, she doesn’t even need to open it. It’s not stamped, just addressed with her landlord’s scrawly handwriting and that stamp is the same one she’s seen before, with the little chip out of the rubber in the upper left hand corner of the O. It looks a bit like it says UVERDUE, and the first time, she’d laughed at it a bit.

She isn’t laughing now. 

She’s cut every corner she can, scraped and gone without and scavenged, and she still can’t pay this bill. Not even the minimum it’s going to be asking for. She can’t make it here. She’s done everything she knows how to do, everything she learned from her mother, every trick they used to keep a single woman and two growing girls housed and fed, and it still isn’t enough. She lays the envelope on the table with the knife on top of it. She doesn’t want to see what it says, she already knows.

No matter what she does, she can’t break even.

At least she doesn’t have much to pack.

You can read this story and more from this universe on my WorldAnvil here!

@catwingsathena @nade2308 @whumptober

#whumptober 2023 #no.24 #neglect #original character #sierra aguirre-stoker #pete jemison #food insecurity