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lovemesomesurveys · 5 years

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1. Are you related to the last person you spoke to? Yes, I was talking to my mom and brother. 2. Are your blankets normally kicked all over the place when you wake up? No. 3. Do you wear an eye mask when you go to sleep? Nope. I’ve been wanting to get one of those eye cooling sleep masks, though. I get bad headaches and cold washcloths help with those, so I figured a cooling sleeping mask would be great for that. And for when it’s hot. 4. Are family get-togethers fun or awkward for you? I like them. 5. Are any of your friends hoping to be famous one day? No.

6. What do you do if someone way too old for you hits on you? I’d decline. 7. Can you eat a whole pizza by yourself? I typically only eat 2-3 slices at a time. 8. Do you wear a lot of red clothes? No. 9. Do you lock the doors? Of course. 10. Is coffee better with or without milk? I only use milk (well soy milk) when I order lattes/mocha/macchiatos. If I order a regular coffee at like a restaurant then I use Half and Half and sugar. At home I use flavored creamer. 11. When was the last time you were at a hotel? Last weekend briefly when dropping my brother off. My mom and I went up to check out his room and stuff before we left. 12. Who would you kiss right now if you could kiss anyone? My doggo. 13. Are you afraid of the dark, or were you ever? I mean, I sleep with the TV on for some light and sound because I can’t have it completely dark or silent. 14. Do you have trust issues? Not really. I just have a hard time opening up and expressing myself to anyone. 15. When was the last time you cried from laughing so hard? I don’t remember. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed that hard. 16. What are your plans for Thursday? I don’t have any plans for tomorrow. 17. Have you had your birthday yet this year? Yes, back in July. 18. Are you playing hard to get right now? No. I’m just hard to want. 19. Do you still talk to the person you were dating five months ago? I was single and still am. 20. Does cuddling freak you out? No. 21. Are your toenails painted? Nope. 22. Have you ever told someone you were in love with them? Yes. I laid all my feelings out on the table for Joseph, which took every ounce of courage I could muster up. It was so hard for me. 23. Ever slapped a guy in the face? Only playfully, and it was lightly. 24. Would you ever dye your hair blonde? Nah. I had blonde highlights for several years, but I never went full on blonde. 25. Did you make anything to eat today? I had a sandwich for lunch. 26. Do you wear eyeliner? When I wear makeup, which is rare nowadays. 27. What’s your favourite part of the song that you’re listening to? I’m not listening to music right now. 28. Do you think you’re a good friend? I haven’t been at all for the past few years. I’ve been very shitty. :/ I can’t even call anyone a friend anymore. 29. If the year consisted of only one season, which would you choose? Fall. 30. Could you go out in public looking like you do now? I’m wearing leggings with Santas all over and A Christmas Story shirt at the moment... in October. :X lol I’d really rather not. Plus, my hair is messy. Like, I couldn’t even just throw a hat on it. 31. What was on your mind mostly today? Blah. 32. Who was the last person you got into a small argument with? My mom and I bicker sometimes, mostly cause my moody moods get especially bad and I just end up butting heads with everyone. :/ 33. Can you handle the truth? Depends. 34. Are there some songs you can’t listen to because they remind you of someone? I listen to them anyway and get sad. 35. Last night, did you go to sleep smiling? I never go to sleep smiling. 36. Where did you sleep last night? My bed. 37. Did you have a good day yesterday? It was alright. 38. What was the highlight of today? I’m getting my favorite pizza for dinner. 39. Do you hate anyone? Besides myself, no. 40. Do you wish you had the chance to tell someone something right now? Not right now. 41. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My mom. 42. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now? No. 43. Do horror movies these days scare you? I love horror movies now it’s so weird. I used to be such a scardy cat. It’s October aka spooky time and I want to watch a ton of scary movies. 44. What is the best thing that’s happened in the past week? Spending the afternoon this past Sunday in one of my favorite touristy cities that’s near water so it’s a lot cooler there temp wise and it was great and getting my favorite pizza twice. 45. What colour is your hair? Naturally it’s dark brown, but I dye it red. 46. What did you do yesterday? Same stuff I always do. 47. What are you doing tonight? Eat pizza and watch AHS. 48. Have you ever thrown your cell phone in anger? When? No. 49. Do you think you will be in a relationship three months from now? No. 50. Do you want to fix things with anybody? Yes, but I know I’m not in the right space mentally to do so yet. 51. Could you go the rest of your life without drinking alcohol? I’ve gone 6 years so far since the last time and I have no desire to drink as of now. 52. Is your hair long enough to pull over your face like a mustache? Yeah. 53. Do you ever find yourself making up survey questions throughout the day? There’s been times I’ve thought up a question or two. 54. Who is your favourite online friend? I think the survey community on here is pretty cool. 55. What was the last thing you tried for the first time? Hmm. I can’t think of something at the moment. 56. What was the last thing you said out loud, and how loud were you speaking? I was saying goodbye to my mom and brother who were leaving to go get our food. 57. What’s your favourite nail polish colour to wear or see on others? I liked wearing black the best. 58. What was the last thing you learned? Hmm. 59. How warm do you like your showers/baths to be? Not scorching, burning hot, but hot. 60. Are there any advertisements/commercials you actually like? Which? There’s been some commercials that I actually like, but generally I don’t pay much attention to them. 61. How often do you visit your relatives? Not often these days. There’s some family members I was really close with that I haven’t seen in a few years, which is crazy. I just really became withdrawn, distant, and reclusive these past few years from everyone. :/ 62. In your opinion, what is the scariest natural disaster? All of them sound terrifying. I’ve thankfully never experienced one. So far anyway... 63. What design is on your bed sheets? They’re just pink. 64. What is your favourite brand of fizzy drink? Like soda? I like Coke and Dr. Pepper, but I haven’t actually soda, only just a bit when I take my medicine, in like 2 years. I used to have one a day and I had been drinking soda since I was a kid (not regularly as a little kid, but I had it sometimes. I regularly started having it in middle school). 65. As a kid, did you use toothpaste that wasn’t minty? Yeah, I remember having bubblegum flavored ones. 66. What is your favourite vegetable? Spinach, potatoes, broccoli. 67. Do you have any other countries’ timezones saved to your computer/mobile phone? No. 68. Is your username the same for every website? No. 69. What do you have in your online bookmarks? On the bookmarks bar on Chrome I have Google, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube. 70. Do you have a lucky number? Why is it so lucky? I don’t believe in luck, but my favorite number is 8. 71. Do you set your browser to remember passwords? No. 72. Describe the perfect burger: I’m not a big burger person, but if I were to have one I’d just want cheese, ketchup, mustard, and mayo. 73. What was the last thing you made yourself to eat? A sandwich. 74. Do you agree that the nude scenes in movies are generally unnecessary? Uhh sometimes, but it’s whatever. I still act like a kid and mostly look away, though lol. 75. Have you ever stood on a sea creature while at the beach? Uh, no? 76. What’s worse; speaking in all caps, or all lowercase? When people type in all caps my mind reads it like yelling. 77. What’s your favourite place to go for fast food? Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, or Jack in the Box. However, I haven’t really been into fast food at all for the past few months, oddly enough. 78. How many fillings do you have? A lot. 79. Do you prefer warm or cold hands? I’m fine with my hands being warm, just not me overall being hot. 80. Have you ever had a mud fight? No. 81. When you see people in love, is your first reaction “ew” or “cute”? Cute.

82. Have you ever woken up from a dream and thought it had actually happened? 83. Do you know anyone who closely resembles someone else? Yeah, family members. lol. 84. When your sunburn peels, do you leave it or pull at it? I’m the worst cause I pull it. :X 85. What type of food do you find yourself craving most (sweet, savoury, meat, etc.)? Savory. 86. Why did you last go to the doctors? Monthly checkup for one of the ongoing things I’m dealing with.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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pandawritesthings210 · 5 years

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The Countdown

It’s early in the morning when I pet my dog before heading downstairs from my apartment into my flower shop. The sun hasn’t quite risen yet, seeing as it’s 5:30 in the morning. I sigh happily as I unlock the shop so Lexi, my best friend, can get in. I flip the sign on the door to open as well. I put together a few bouquets before Lexi gets in. By the time lunch comes around, we’ve sold a few and made a ton.

When we get back from lunch I look down at the timer on my wrist and sigh as I arrange what feels like the millionth bouquet I’ve done today, I still have over a year until I meet my soulmate. I’ve had the timer since I was born, but I’m so ready for it to beep and fall off. I just want to meet my soulmate. I’m tired of the pitiful looks I get when people see my timer still on my wrist. I’m 25. You usually meet your soulmate by 20.

“Emma, Sweetie, you need to stop worrying about the time left on that stupid timer. It’s not healthy to keep worrying about it like that,” my best friend says as we sit at work.

“Easy for you to say. You have your soulmate, Lex,” I tell her with an exaggerated eye roll and brushing a strand of raven-colored hair out of my face.

“Yes, I do, but I didn’t have him for a very long time. I met him 2 years after you’re supposed to,” she points out.

“Mine is 5 years late, Lex. Plus, it still says I have a whole-” I stop and look down at my timer. It’s changed from over a year to a few days.

“Oh my gosh, Lex! It changed! It went from over a year to 3 days! I wonder what they did to change it so drastically,” I exclaim in excitement.

“Oh my gosh! I have no idea, but I’m excited for you!” she squeals.

I almost snap one of the hydrangeas in the bouquet as I squeal with her in excitement.

I have 3 days, 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 24 seconds left until I meet my soulmate. At least I work in a floral shop in Dallas and it’s the Saturday before Valentine’s day, which is on Wednesday, so I’ll be busy enough to not just sit there staring at my watch all the time.

The bouquet I was working on before our fangirl attack needs a little fixing, so I fix it and put it in the cooler. I start another bouquet that’s going to have red and white roses mixed with some baby’s breath after putting that one away. It takes about 10 or 15 minutes before I’m satisfied with the way it looks, but that’s usual. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to the arrangements.

The shop’s kind of slow today. It’s a small shop called Bambi’s Flowers that’s set up next to Angel’s tattoo shop, but it’s cute and homey inside. We have the regular jobs like teenage boys coming in for a small bouquet for their girlfriend, or a husband looking for just a normal bouquet for their wife, but sometimes we get orders for giant bouquets. I love the giant bouquets, because they’re so much fun to put together.

Another boy, about 17 or 18 comes in looking for a single rose to give his mom for Valentine’s Day, and my heart melts at the sweetness of the gesture. I point him in the direction of our small section that has some singular roses for $5. He thanks me before walking over to the section and looking around for a bit as I go back to my task of putting another bouquet together. I hum a small French song that I learned back in high school as I pluck another bit of baby’s breath from the stem to pass the time.

“You have a beautiful singing voice,” I hear the boy say, and I look up and stop singing quickly, a light blush staining my cheeks.

“Thank you. Did you find what you were looking for?” I ask as I look at the rose in his hand- white, which is a nice change.

“Yup. I love your shop. It feels very homey,” he says.

“Thanks. It’s kind of my pride and joy,” I reply with a smile.

“So you own the shop then?” he asks.

“Yup. I’ve had this shop for about 5 years, now. I live in the apartment upstairs. I love it here,” I say as he hands me the rose to ring up.

“I can see why. I imagine the smell of fresh flowers never grows old,” he says thoughtfully.

“Oh, it never does. I love the smell of flowers,” I tell him.

“Me, too. I know that’s not typical for a guy in high school, but I love them,” he admits.

“Well, if you ever want to work here, I’d be happy to interview you,” I smile as I finish ringing the rose up.

“Seriously? That’d be amazing! Do you have an application for me to fill out first?” he asks excitedly.

“Yeah, sure thing. Why don’t we say interview time’s Monday at 1:30?” I ask him, handing him the application.

“Sounds great! I’m so excited!” he grins widely.

“I’m glad. It’s nice to see someone else this excited about my shop,” I smile.

“I’m Nicholas, by the way,” he smiles back.

“Emma. I hate formalities like making you call me by my last name when I’m like 7 years older than you- if that,” I reply.

“Okay. Emma, it is, then. I’m so excited for Monday! I’m gonna go tell my mom and give her her rose now!” He exclaims, running out of the shop.

I smile as I watch him run off. It’s nice to see someone else as excited about the shop as I am. I get started on another bouquet until someone else comes into the shop. Lex is working on one as well. She’s humming some song from the radio that I don’t know the name of.

After I put the final touches on my bouquet, a man about my age comes in looking for a bouquet for his anniversary today. He proceeds to tell me all about why today is his anniversary and all about his fiancée. He tells me about how they’d been together since high school when he was a sophomore and she was a junior. He shows me a picture of her, and she’s really pretty.

He gets a bouquet of white roses with a single pink one in the middle. He thanks me excitedly and walks out the door after paying. I think about how lucky he is to have met his soulmate so early. Lex sees me space out a bit and gives me a hug to bring me back to reality.

“Thanks, Lex. I needed that. Got a little lost inside my head again,” I tell her as I hug her back.

“Yeah, I kinda noticed,” she laughs.

“It’s just hard when I see people meet theirs so early when mine is 5 years late,” I say.

“I know, Sweetheart, but they’ll be here soon. It’s okay,” she says lightly scratching my back.

“Yeah, but that’s 3 days away from now,” I whine.

“But those 3 days will be nothing when you have your soulmate for the rest of your life,” she points out.

“That’s True. I know I’m just being impatient,” I admit.

“Yeah, you are, and you really don’t need to be. The 3 days you have now are better than the over a year you had before,” she reminds me.

“You’re not wrong,” I tell her.

We go about putting more bouquets together and when a young girl, she’s maybe 14 or so, walks through the door.

“Hi, um, I’m looking for a bouquet for my mom for Valentine’s day,” she says in a small voice.

“Of course, Sweetheart. Now, what kind of flowers does your mom like?” I ask her, stopping my work.

“She likes Tulips, Roses, and Chrysanthemums,” she tells me.

“I have the perfect bouquet for her. I’ll be right back,” I smile. She smiles back excitedly.

I turn around and walk into the big cooler I have for bouquets. I grab the bouquet and walk back out. The girl smiles excitedly and squeals a bit.

“It’s beautiful! She’ll love it!” She finally manages to exclaim.

“Yay! Okay, so that’ll be $21.69,” I tell her after I ring it up.

“Here you go, and you can keep the change,” she smiles at me.

“Thank you! Here’s your bouquet. Have a nice day!” I tell her, handing over her bouquet.

“You, too!” She yells over her shoulder as she leaves.

I sigh with contentment and look around my shop. I think I finally have enough bouquets for Valentine’s Day. The rest of the day goes by super quick, and I’m off the next day. When Monday rolls around I wake up and get breakfast while attempting to keep my French Bulldog, Marie, out of my food.

I get dressed, grab my keys, and head downstairs to walk Marie before I open the shop up. I’m so glad that the leash is long enough for me to put both of my hands in the front pocket of my hoodie, since it’s 5:45 in the morning 3 days before Valentine’s Day. We go our normal morning route, just around the block, and I clean the shop a bit before I officially open up.

Lexi comes in around 6:30 exhausted from her 3-month-old son, Bobby, waking her up every 2 hours in the night. I feel bad for her right now, but I know it’ll get easier on her when he’s a bit older. During her lunch break she just eats a protein bar and crashes in the break room for a well-deserved nap.

Nicholas, the kid from Saturday, comes back for his interview. He’s 30 minutes early, which I applaud. He has on nice jeans and a light blue button-down shirt on. It’s obvious he’s trying to make a good impression. His interview goes really well, so he’s going to start tomorrow.

We start getting really busy after lunch, which helps me keep my mind off of my watch which still has 1 day 9 hours 13 minutes and 30 seconds left. I’m hoping my soulmate doesn’t do something to make it longer again.

All of the next morning is pretty quiet for a Tuesday until after lunch when Nicholas comes in, and started his training. He’s a very quick learner, and by the end of the day, he’s checked out a few people and is super excited to help tomorrow.

I wake up and start the same routine as normal but with a lot more butterflies in my stomach. I have 9 hours 12 minutes and 17 seconds until I meet my soulmate. I’m so excited, but I’m also terrified. What if they don’t like the way I look, or my personality, or my accent? Lex laughs at me when I tell her my concerns after she makes her way in.

“If they don’t like any of that stuff about you, they’re an absolute idiot. You’re amazing, Em. Babies love you, people love you, animals love you, freaking plants love you. If they don’t love you too, then they’re the ones who are messed up,” She tells me, grabbing both of my shoulders to make me look her in the eyes.

“Thanks, Lex,” I say as I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a tight hug.

“No problem, Em. Now, we still have to tag some more bouquets before lunch, right?”

“Yeah, we do. We have a lot of them to do, but it goes quickly,” I tell her as I go grab the roll of barcode stickers from the back.

It takes us maybe an hour to tag all of the bouquets, and by that time we have a little boy- maybe 6 or 7 come in to buy a single pink rose for his mom. He’s really sweet about it and uses ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. His mom is doing a good job with him. He leaves with a huge smile on his face as he runs out the door to, more than likely, school.

As the morning goes on, it starts to pick up a little bit. We have a few guys about my age come in to get a bouquet for their girlfriend or their wife. Some tell me about their significant other,and others choose not to tell me.

I’m panicking the entire time I’m working while I think about what my soulmate will be like. I don’t really care if it’s a guy or a girl. I’ve been over having preferences for a long time. I just want them to accept me. I hope I live up to their expectations after having to wait for so long.

Our lunch break comes quickly, and I kind of fix my makeup and brush my hair out again before taking Marie on a small walk with Lexi. I eat my lunch when we get back, and wait for Nicholas -Nick, he prefers- to show up so we can finish up inventory. He comes in at exactly 1:30 like always. We have a few more customers come in to buy flowers in advance for tomorrow.

An hour or so of inventory goes by, and I stop to look at my timer. I see 1 hour 12 minutes and 7 seconds left. I’m so excited, but I’m also terrified that they won’t like me. I’m all shaky, and I’m not focused. Nick looks at me concerned when I space out for the third time in ten minutes.

“Emma? You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine- just a little nervous. I’m meeting my soulmate in about an hour,” I tell him.

“Oh, goodness. No wonder you’re so spacey. Are you excited?” He says.

“Of course, but I’m also really nervous. What if they don’t want me?” I ask in a small voice.

“Then they’re an absolute idiot. If they don’t want you, they don’t deserve you anyway,” He says in a fierce tone. We’ve become somewhat friends in the little bit he’s been working at Bambi’s for me.

“Thanks, Nick,” I say with a small squeeze to his shoulder.

“Nothing to thank me for. I’m just telling you the truth,” he replies, giving me a one-armed hug.

We get a few more bouquets done between the three of us, and I have a minute left on my timer before I even realize that that much time has passed. I’m fangirling with Nick and Lexi when the bell of the shop jingles and a tall man with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes walks in, and I hear the sound of two timers go off and two small thuds as our timers fall to the floor.

“So this is where ya’ve been hidin’ for so long. I was startin’ to wonder what I’d done wrong once I looked all over at home,” He says as he reaches toward me and brushes a piece of hair behind my ear.

“I thought the same thing. You’re a long way from home now, aren’t you?” I ask him.

“Yeah, I flew here to visit a friend, and your shop looks to have some pretty flowers, so I was gonna have a look ‘round. Now, though, I just wanna take you and geht to know ya,” He admits.

“Well, my name’s Emma Wilson, for starters,” I tell him.

“Davin O’Connor,” he smiles wide.

“I’m Lexi, her best friend, and that’s Nick- also a friend,” Lexi pipes up.

“Nice tah meet the both of ya’s as well,” Davin says, reaching to shake both of their hands.

“So would it be too much trouble tah steal ya ‘way for a bit?” Davin asks me. I look at Lexi and Nick to make sure they’ll be okay without me.

“Go. We can manage the shop for the rest of the day. It’s only a couple hours till closing time anyway,” she says.

“Thanks, Lex. You too, Nick. I’ll call you later,” I say as Davin and I walk out of the shop.

“Is this okay?” Davin asks as he hesitantly reaches for my hand and interlocks our fingers as we walk.

“Of course it’s okay. You’re my soulmate, Davin. I’ve waited entirely too long for you to hold my hand,” I tell him as I look up at him. He’s quite a bit taller than my 5’ 3” self.

“I can say the same. It’s been a long 5 years, indeed. I wish I would’ve come to visit Crevan a lot sooner.” He says, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand.

“Me, too,” I say with a small laugh, swinging our hands slightly as we walk.

“So, you know what I do for a living, but what do you do?” I ask him after a while.

“I’m a journalist, which is also part of the reason I came to America. I have to cover a story on a big corporation here,” He answers with a smile, taking a bit longer to form the word ‘ corporation’ with his thick accent.

“So is it safe to say you enjoy what you do as well?”

“Oh, yes. I love my job. I’ll definitely have to see if we have a branch of the company here,” He tells me with a squeeze to my hand.

“You’d move here? Why? You love your job,” I say with wide eyes.

“Because you’re my soulmate, Emma. My soulmate’s more important than my job. Plus, you can be a journalist anywhere. You’re shop’s here. You can’t really bring that with you,” He says as we stop walking for a second.

“You’re already so sweet to me, and we just met,” I tell him, playfully bumping into him as we start walking again.

“I do want you to come with me and visit my family when I leave to get my stuff from my flat,” He says as a thought.

“I would love to go meet your family, but I’ve never left the country, so I’m a little nervous,” I tell him.

“Don’t be nervous, Love. You’ll be fine. My family will love you, and I’ll show you around a little,” He reassures me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

“I’ve always heard it’s pretty, but I’ve never been able to go. I think Lex and Nick could handle the shop and Marie for a few days, though,” I say, leaning into him.

“Marie?” He asks.

“Oh, yeah. She’s my French Bulldog puppy,” I tell him.

“Aww. Well, I’d love to see her later,” He says with a smile.

“She’ll love you. She pretty much loves everybody,”

“Well that’s good. I’d hate to have your dog not like me,”

We eventually end up in a little hamburger place in town, and we both get a double bacon cheeseburger and fries- just happily eating and talking occasionally about our lives. When dinner’s done, Davin comes back to my apartment with me. It’s the first night that I sleep well in a long time. My heart swells when Davin rolls over in his sleep, wraps both arms around my waist, and buries his face in my hair with a small, content sigh. Getting to kiss his lips first thing in the morning makes the extra 5 years without him so worth it.

#soulmate #au #soulmate au #cute #fluffy #fluff #hand holding #dog #slow build

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thestoryofme13 · 6 years

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The Spiral

Prequel to Saving Me: The Spiral

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

Warnings: Swearing, crying, Self-harm (freezing water), divorce, kissing, wanting to be numb, hopelessness

A/N: This is my attempt at an AU, but please look out for the warnings before each chapter, this is going to be triggering and I am going to do my best to tag all of them but I will need your help to make sure I don’t miss anything. I want you as readers to be safe. This was inspired by @ilovemygaydad and their fic Friends in Dark Places, which I highly recommend, you can see the all the chapter links and my thoughts on the story as a whole here.

Virgil had finally stopped shivering, laughing, and crying for long enough to shut off the water. He hadn’t realized just how cold the water was until he stepped out of the shower and it was warmer in the bathroom than the shower. He shuddered as he exited to grab his towel and dry himself off, while it was nice to be numb for a while he was just ready to go to bed. Virgil had nothing left to give for today, or really any day.

Virgil had long since given up hope of tomorrow being better than the day before. When he woke up the next day he would still have no friends, the guy he fell for would still be in a relationship, and high school would still be kicking his ass. So, yeah, he had given up hope for his days getting better but in his mind, it was highly unlikely his life could get worse at this point.

Virgil had finally dried enough to put on his pjs, he stood in the doorway looking at his bed, it looked so inviting. When they moved to the new house his room was significantly larger than in the old house, and his mother still felt guilty for the interstate move and decided to buy him a queen-sized bed, which engulfed him with room to spare. Once the size of the bed had been determined they also had to pick out the frame and the bedding. Virgil’s mom allowed him to pick out whatever frame and bedding he wanted so he ended up with a black metal bed frame paired with black sheets and a dark purple (near black) comforter, his mother had questioned his choices but the “perks” of being a child of divorce are the guilt presents.

There was a time when he would take solace in his bed, but currently it was the enemy. Well, his bed wasn’t the enemy per se, it was his brain that caused that dream for the past couple of months. His bed and his dreams were meant to be his escape from the hell and agony that was his life, but no his life had to constantly be bad. He sighed in defeat, from the spot where he was leaning in the doorway of the bathroom. He looked at the clock it was now 10:30, if he wanted any hope of waking up not feeling like shit he would need to go to sleep. He trudged to his bed, finally succumbing to the siren song that was sleep. Right before surrendering to sleep, he silently hoped and prayed to anyone willing to listen that he would be able to have a night where he would not remember his dreams. Just one night, one would be enough.

(That Dream) Virgil was sitting at the lunch table he had always sat at, waiting for Logan to join him for lunch, sometimes the nerd forgot to leave the library, then Virgil would be forced to physically drag him out of his “oasis”. It was common knowledge, at least to Virgil, that when Logan got engrossed in a project he would forget to eat, sleep, or other “normal” human functions needed to stay alive.

Virgil looked at his phone, it had been ten minutes since lunch period had begun. He started packing up his lunch quickly realizing that today would be one of those days where he would have to find and drag Logan out of the library. He finished packing up his lunch and decided he should stop at Logan’s locker before, heading to the library to fetch the nerd. The less time that was wasted the more time he and Logan had to eat and enjoy their time together.

Virgil stopped at Logan’s locker and put in the combination. Logan had been sick one day, so he texted Virgil in a panic with a list of what he needed from his locker (which ended up being the entire damn thing) and the combination. He looked at Logan’s schedule that was hung on the locker door and grabbed the books and notebooks for said classes as well as grabbing the lunch box from the top shelf. After retrieving all of Logan’s things to get him through the rest of the day, Virgil returned to his quest to find and retrieve the nerd.

Virgil walked through the entrance to the library and quickly scanned the room, looking for the auburn-headed nerd. The library was not very big, but Logan would always find a new place to hide, usually some corner where you would overlook him. Finally, Virgil’s eyes landed on a corner computer and saw the messy hair peeking out from above the desktop, “Found you,” he thought triumphantly. He walked quickly to where Logan was seated and made eye contact with the nerd while walking over. Logan rolled his eyes and whispered, “I assume you are here to drag me out of my work?” Virgil nodded, “I wouldn’t have to drag you out of your work if you remembered to take care of yourself.” Logan looked annoyed, he took out his phone to try and prove a point, “I’m not even late! Oh, wait Lunch started at noon, not 12:30. Shit. Fine, you win.” Virgil smirked, “Of course I win, I’m always right. Now come on save what you’re doing so you can eat before class.” Logan saved the document he was working on and reluctantly followed Virgil, “I need to grab my lunch and books first,” he stated as he tried to walk towards his locker. Virgil grabbed Logan by the arm before he could get too far, “Nuh-huh, I didn’t want to waste time going back that way, so I grabbed your lunch and books for the rest of the day,” he raised the contents in his arm as if to prove a point. Logan looked as though he wanted to protest but finally just gave up and let himself be dragged by his friend down the hallway, “V, where are we going? The cafeteria is the other way.” Virgil just looked back at Logan and laughed, “Well both of us brought our lunch so I thought we’d try something different.” The mischievous look in Virgil’s eyes made Logan feel uneasy but allowed himself to be pulled out of his comfort zone. Logan quickly figured out where Virgil was taking him, “V, we cannot go out there! That is the senior courtyard!!!” Virgil just shrugged in response and opened the door, the courtyard was nearly empty because the weather was starting to get a bit on the colder side, especially with the breeze.

The two boys plopped down on the grass over to the side, and both began eating their lunches. The silence wasn’t awkward or forced, neither one of them were that talkative. They were enjoying the sunshine on their skin, even if the breeze made the temperature feel about five degrees cooler. Virgil was watching a couple of birds in a birdbath when he felt the sensation that someone was staring, “Lo, I know I’m handsome but why are you staring,” he didn’t move his eyes from the birdbath when he spoke. Logan was blushing and now staring at his feet, “I was not staring, merely observing!” Virgil laughed and turned around to face Logan, “Are you blushing? Lo, being all flustered. No one would ever believe me!” Virgil’s words only increased the violent blush creeping onto Logan’s face, but he could tell Logan felt uncomfortable. He quickly changed his demeanor and stretched out a reassuring hand to place on Logan’s arm, “I was just joking, Lo. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.” Logan shook his head, but remained looking at his feet, “You don’t get it.” Virgil moved himself closer to Logan, “if I don’t get it please explain it to me. I want to understand.” Logan looked up and was met with Virgil’s worried blue eyes, but Logan’s green eyes said something entirely different, he was scared no terrified. Virgil instantly recognized that look and decided to drop the topic for fear of scaring Logan away, “Hey Lo, have you started watching that anime I suggested.” Logan looked relieved at the topic change and sighed, “I…um…finished it.” Virgil almost fell over, “You did what now?! That anime was nearly 300 episodes! How did you finish it?” Logan laughed sometimes Virgil could be really dramatic, “Well you said it was one of your favorites, and I wanted to be able to carry out a conversation with you about something you loved so I just watched as many as I could. Then I got invested in the story and the characters and by then there was no stopping it.” Virgil still looked in awe, “Well did you like it?” Logan laughed, “V, I probably wouldn’t have finished in a month if I didn’t like it.” Virgil shook his head, “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you watched 300 episodes in a month.”

Logan was digging through his lunch box now when he pulled out some homemade hummus, Virgil looked at him, “Lo, is that the hummus your mom makes when I come over?” Logan nodded, “Yes, she quite enjoys having something around the house that is healthy and easy to make.” Virgil turned so that his entire body was facing Logan, then it happened Virgil pounced, “Give me your hummus!!” Logan was laughing, more like giggling, and Virgil had him pinned to the ground, “Had you asked nicely, V, maybe but since resorted to violence, I will not be indulging your need.” Virgil pouted, “Come on, Lo. I could steal it if I wanted to. I asked now!” Logan looked up at Virgil and winked, “If you think you can steal it then go for it.” It was on now Virgil leaned from where he was sitting on Logan’s stomach to reach for the hummus that was in his hand, but the weight shift was too sudden, and he lost his balance landing sprawled on top of Logan with an “oooof” from both parties. Logan laughed, “I told you that you couldn’t possibly steal it.”

This was quite the predicament Virgil was sprawled on top of Logan with their faces nearly touching, and both boys were laughing. Logan had started to get up but that just increased their proximity. Logan had looked away so as to set the hummus down next to him, then brought his face back and looked at Virgil who was still laying nearly on top of him. Logan took a breath and then leaned forward and kissed Virgil. This kiss was very sweet, quick, and innocent.

(End Dream)

Tag list: @fandomsandanythingelse @justanotherpurplebutterfly @nyxwordsmith @michealawithana @fanfictionsideaccount@bubblycricket @moose-1967 @electricdaisycat @sanders-sides-fic-archive

#myfics #au #sanders sides #logan sanders #virgil sanders #prequel #tw swearing #tw crying #tw self harm #tw divorce #tw kissing #tw numb #tw hopelessness #The Spiral

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anchorsandadderall · 6 years

Text

Save Net Neutrality or the Vampires Win

February 2nd, 2018

Time: 1:30 PM

Stiles swears fitfully and slams his hand down on his desk. He’s hit the computer one time too many already, and one more good one will probably kill the monitor. It also doesn’t make the stupid thing run any faster. He grabs his phone while the hourglass turns endlessly on a half-loaded webpage with a black background and white text. One of the old Geocities pages, and it looks promising. A lot of good information got dumped onto the web, hidden behind the shitty programming and the glut of amateur content all coming online at the same time. But the midi music and the little animated bat that replaces the cursor are killing what little internet speed he had these days.

Stiles grabs his phone and dials Scott, wiggling the mouse around so maybe the page won’t crash while it’s loading. The little bat shivers in one spot and then follows his mouse in a jerky, broken line.

“Yeah?” Scott asks, picking up on the third ring.

“Scotty! No time for questions. I need you to get on the internet and check something for me,” he says, grabbing a notepad. “I’ll tell you exactly what to put in Google.”

“Uh… I’m on Verizon, so I have to use Yahoo! to search,” Scott says, keys tapping on the other end.

Stiles tightens his fist. Goddamn it, FCC. “Okay. Well, this was on page 33 on Google, so you’re gonna have to skip ahead as quick as you can. Put in ‘Vampirism cure, obsidian rune circle, foxglove syrup recipe.’”

“Wait… what?”

Stiles groans. “Scott!”

“Stiles! You can’t just have me searching something like that and not tell me why!” Scott protests. Stiles can hear him typing again and reminds himself that yeah, that probably sounds really fucking scary coming out of nowhere. Although it’s also really fucking scary no matter what.

“So Isaac got bitten by a vampire. We have him chained up right now, but we only have until sundown to either cure him or feed him or he starves to death. Deaton said to check for rituals that use obsidian as a grounding agent, so-”

“Isaac got bi… what?? Stiles, what? Derek said vampires are bullshit!”

“Scotty, focus. Start scrolling through the search pages. Go to page 30 and start looking for a Geocities site called Penny the Pretty Pagan.” Stiles slams down on the F5 key as the page gives him a loading error. The screen blanks and gives him back the hourglass.

“Stiles. I thought-”

“Yeah, Derek thought vampires were bullshit. Apparently they’re not. Or there’s some other creature that infects people by biting them and sucking their blood.” And if there was, Stiles’ internet was way too slow right now for him to try and research a distinction. He shakes his mouse in frustration at the scant two inches of black page that have loaded.

“I’m gonna call you back. Keep searching. Penny the Pretty Pagan.” Stiles hangs up and dials Lydia. Her voicemail picks up, so he hangs up and dials again, bracing himself for the onslaught.

“Stiles! I was in class!” she hisses into the phone when she picks it up, making Stiles wince a little. He owes her huge for stepping out of a class she found important enough to attend.

“I know, but it’s an emergency. I need obsidian and foxglove. Go to the library and find out where I can get some. Today, in Beacon Hills. Nothing on etsy.”

“Obsidian?”

“Vampire cure,” Stiles says, checking his phone as it buzzes. “Scott is calling. Let me know what you find.” Stiles drops Lydia’s call and takes Scott’s. “What are the ingredients in the syrup?”

“I dunno, I can’t access the website,” Scott says sheepishly. “It’s not included in my internet package.”

“How is a Geocities page not included?”

“I dunno, man! It was super expensive, so we cut back to the Netflix and email packages.” Stiles can almost hear the helpless shrug because he knows what Scott sounds like when he does that helpless shrug. “I don’t know how they pick what counts. Want me to call Verizon?”

Stiles checks the time. 2:12. “No time for that. Um… okay, see if you can Google florists and crystal shops in Beacon Hills. Call them and see who has obsidian and foxglove.”

“I have to use Ya-”

“Yeah, Yahoo. Just search it. If you can’t open the page, use the phone book and just start calling places.” Stiles hangs up and immediately dials Lydia.

“I want you to know I’m getting super dirty looks for commandeering a computer for this,” Lydia whispers into her phone. “Seriously, everyone has to use the library computers for everything now. I had to pull rank on someone to get their computer.”

“There are ranks at MIT?” Stiles asks, then shakes his head. He’s gonna ask about that later. Right now… focus. “Never mind. Scott is looking for the stuff. His internet package sucks for research. I need you to find a Geocities site..”

February 2nd, 2018

Time: 4:00 PM

Stiles has a paper bag full of wine-red foxglove flowers in the backseat. He has half-written, half drawn directions to a new age shop just outside of town. The paper crinkles under his fist as he steers the Jeep with one hand and dials a number he hates dialing with the other.

Peter picks up halfway through the first ring, like he knows Stiles doesn’t actually want to talk to him. “Stiles. What a surprise.”

“I’ve got a recipe I need you to translate out of Latin,” Stiles says, in lieu of a greeting. Greetings are for when time isn’t almost gone. And for people he likes.

“How old is the Latin that you need me to translate it?” Peter asks, doing that thing where he’s interested and trying to sound really uninterested. “Some lost page of the Bestiary?”

“Newer than that. My internet is being stupid. I called my provider and they said my searches were flagged as suspicious and now the pages won’t…” Stiles eases his grip on the steering wheel when his fingers begin to lock up from gripping the wheel too tightly. Calm. Calm, Stiles. “Look. I’m sending you two pictures. The ingredients were in English but the instructions are in Latin. Just tell me what they say. It’s for Isaac.” Not that that means anything to Peter except that Derek will owe him if he helps his Beta, and Peter likes it when people owe him. Stiles sends the photos at the next red light and sends Derek a short text, apologizing for indebting him to his psycho uncle. Derek doesn’t answer because he’s trying to contain a half-formed werewolf/vampire hybrid.

It takes Peter less than two minutes to call him back. “I hope you don’t need this tonight.”

Stiles feels his heart sink down into his stomach. “Uh… I need it in about an hour, actually. I got the flowers, it won’t take that long to boil them down, right?”

“The syrup has to be brewed when Mercury is in retrograde.” Peter pauses like that means anything in the world to Stiles. After a few seconds, he sighs. “When Mercury is in retrograde, it’s a period that’s astrologically sound for making preparations on-”

“Okay, but when does it go into retrograde?” Stiles asks, but he kind of expects the answer isn’t ‘in the next twenty minutes.’”

“March 22nd.”

Stiles lets out a long string of curses that have built up over the last four hours. “Okay… so we have until sunset to find another cure for vampirism. What internet package do you have?”

“Just Facebook. What else does one need?”

Stiles pulls over and rests his forehead against the steering wheel. His brain hurts. It feels like he turned it inside out and wrung it dry. Come on, Stiles. Just… think.

“Have you considered robbing a blood bank?” Peter asks cheerily on the other end, sounding like this is all quite enjoyable for him.

Stiles gives his brain one last thorough scraping, then turns his head just enough to see the dashboard clock. 4:21. 90 minutes to cure a condition he’s still kind of surprised exists. 90 minutes for a Hail Mary miracle pass. Just one little miracle.

February 2nd, 2018

Time: 5:25 PM

The sun is just beginning to dip below the horizon. In the bowels of the abandoned train station, Derek can’t actually see the sun, but he can tell. The wet, base snarls Isaac has been making from where he’s chained in the rail car (the trick proved to be chains and piling debris on him, then adding more debris and more chains when he begins to pry free) are changing to something that sounds more painful. Derek flexes his fingers anxiously, claws flicking in and out. He checks his phone again.

[Where are you? -DH] -sent 5:10 PM

[Stiles. Answer me. -DH] -sent 5:18 PM

[What’s going on? Where are you? -DH] -sent 5:20 PM

Still no answer. He looks at the time and forces in a deep breath to tamp down the panic. There’s still… time. A little time. But there’s still…

“Derek!” Stiles half runs and half trips down the stairs into the crumbling lair and brandishes a blue lunch cooler at him like a trophy. “Here!”

“Is this that syrup you were talking about?” He pushes open the cooler and snorts harshly, turning his head at the rushing smell of copper from inside. “…blood bags?”

“If we can’t cure him, we have to feed him, right?”

Derek frowns, instantly disliking the idea, but… the sounds Isaac is making are turning from enraged pain into something weaker. More piteous. “What about the ritual you found?”

“Didn’t work out.” Stiles pulls out a bag. “Can he drink it cold? It’s probably gross either way, but he sounds hungry enough not to care, right?”

“I saw in an episode of Buffy once that crumbling crackers into it makes the texture nicer,” Peter says, using the stairs far more effectively, carrying another cooler in each hand.

“So… the backup plan is that we keep Isaac as a vampire?”

“Werepire,” Peter offers helpfully.

Stiles scowls and shoves the bag into Derek’s chest. “Like you can talk. You said vampires were fake and you don’t even have internet anymore.”

“I didn’t understand the-”

“Yeah, I know!” Stiles snaps, grabbing Derek’s shoulder’s and turning him towards the train car. “The internet sucks now. Make your angry call to the FCC after you get Isaac turned into a werepire. And make sure he won’t kill us all.”

-End

#ficlet #net neutrality #sterek #teen wolf #my writing- beware #I'm sure everyone has been following the news on net neutrality #let me put this into another perspective #this ficlet is about 1770 words long #I wrote it in about 3 hours #(yes I'm a slow writer and yes that means this has been skimmed over once for major errors)#in that time I had to look up the colors foxglove comes in #the time the sun sets in California in February #gem stones with protective properties #and when Mercury will be in retrograde in 2018 #4 bits of research for a very short and straight forward drabble #imagine you or your favorite writer trying to get out the next chapter of a 50k+ masterpiece #or worse- imagine them not having access to a forum to post it on #check out the net neutrality tag for a ton of great posts on who to contact to register your feelings about keeping the internet neutral #the internet is pretty important to me for a lot of reasons including fandom #and I bet it is to you too #let's do what we can to keep it neutral

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greekowl87 · 7 years

Text

Fic: Runaway Christmas Pt 10

A/N: It feels rushed and not my best work but I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Still don’t own anything. Just borrowing.

Mulder leaned back into his basement office chair and rubbed his chin in thought. He had gotten to their x-files office early by himself. Scully had to go to Quantico for the morning to follow up one of their cases but she promised to be back in time for them to go to lunch and finish up at the office early so they could head to Bed, Bath, and Beyond before going home. Although they both had been avoiding the topic, preferring to fantasize the joy of having their son again, but if Will was going to live with them, things would change dramatically.

Like their caseload.

Skinner had been more than understanding so far (which surprised Mulder to no end). They could technically argue age for both of them (it wasn’t 1999 anymore) and could start loaning out their talents to their respective fields with more regularity. For Mulder, that meant profiling again, and for Scully, that meant forensic science, both merely for consultation. Their old boss demonstrated his cleverness further by justifying the x-files too by making their talents used primarily to look at those abnormal cases that others could not. Both Mulder and Scully had to give it Skinner. The assistant director had effectively taken the need of field work out of the x-files so that they could stay around Will more while justifying the existence of their department.

Mulder played the idea of him resigning from the FBI and Scully going back to medicine again like it had been before. True they had been happy, but the darkness came and invaded their life again, ultimately leading to their brief break up. If it was not for rejoining the FBI and regaining their work, he did not really know if they would have found each other again.

He shook his head and took off his suit jacket, loosened his tie, and rolled up his shirt sleeves. There were two profiling cases waiting on his desk to be looked at but all his attention was focused on his son. Drumming his fingers, he dialed Scully’s number.

She answered on the first ring. “Scully.”

“Scully, it’s me,” he said softly.

Her tone softened instantly. “Mulder, I thought we agreed we wouldn’t see each other until lunch. It is only...9:43. Don’t tell me you miss me that much?”

He smiled into his phone. “Always, you know that.” She chuckled indulgently on the other end. “What’s wrong?”

“You know me that well?”

“Almost 25 years, Mulder.”

“Fine. I will do well to remember that later tonight.”

“Mulder!”

“What do the kids say? Sorry, not sorry. Anyways, I was thinking…”

“Why am I not surprised,” she mumbled.

“Just hear me out. What harm could it be, if we, use the main resources available to us as federal employees to look up a certain someone…” his voice trailed off. He really wanted to take advantage of his role as an FBI agent and pull up any records on Will’s foster parents or anything that might give them an edge in court.

But Scully had been the cooler head. “Mulder. No. We both agreed. We can’t risk it. What if you get caught? That bodes bad for us and our case.”

Scully, his conscience and voice of rationalism. God, he loved that woman. “Fine. But are we still going to Ikea…”

“Bed, Bath, and Beyond,” she corrected. “And yes. We have to figure out what we are going to do for the spare bedroom at the apartment. I haven’t even thought of the house.”

“This is really going to happen, isn’t it?” he whispered. He dare not think otherwise.

“We’re going to do it, Mulder,” she whispered back. Ever since Scully had her conversation with Will, she had grown more confident and optimistic. “How did it go with Skinner this morning? Any more field work?”

“Unless absolutely necessary. We still have the x-files, now consulting on all things weird in profiling and forensic science,” he answered proudly. “See, told you?”

“You told me nothing. Look, Mulder, I have to finish this autopsy. I’ll be back at 12:30. Lunch at that little coffee shop down the street?”

“It’s a date.”

“Oh, and call the lawyer and set up the appointment for the judge for Friday,” she reminded him. “Will has his meeting with him today.”

“Yes, dear.”

“Shut up, Mulder.”

Scully hung up and he chuckled to himself. Things were going to be all right. He just had to keep telling himself that.

. . . .

Will did his best to ignore Mrs. Styron’s glare as she reviewed his case file. She had pulled him from school early so they could make it to their meeting with the judge in the early afternoon. He sat, playing on his phone, his feet resting on his skateboard, rolling it back and forth. “I wish you had dressed a bit more professional, William,” she reminded primly.

“Well, I had no idea that you were coming to pick me up from school,” he retorted.

“I told you a week ago!”

Will did not bother to reply. He slumped against the wall and smiled when he saw a new text message from ‘DS’. He had put a little doctor emoji next to the initials to indicate who it was. He opened the message and saw a picture of various medical instruments.

He texted back. ‘What are you doing?’

The reply was instant. It was a selfie of Scully wearing a medical mask in what looked to be a medical lab with the text ‘Making my patients laugh to death.’

Will put a hand to his mouth to keep from chuckling out loud. Mrs. Styron looked at him pointedly and he smiled half heartedly. “Funny cat video.”

“Put away your phone, Will,” she sighed, shifting her gaze back the folder.

Will ignored her and texted back. ‘Bet you’re killing them.’

The reply came quickly. ‘Haha. You have a good day. Good luck with the judge.’

Will smiled, his heart caught in his chest. As he was about reply back to Scully, a new text popped up with ‘FM’ and a little alien emoji next to the initials. He opened the new text. ‘Scully reminded me. Good luck today bud.’

He was at a loss for words. These two strangers had somehow made him feel like he belonged like he was a part of their family. And while everyone else doubted, he knew deep down, they were his birth parents. He just knew. He hesitated before starting a new text, typing ‘DS’ and ‘FM’ into the bar. He typed, ‘Thanks mom & dad’. He stopped and let the text sit. He actually wrote that. Mom and dad. His real parents. He thought about deleting it but it felt right. He sent the text before he could second guess himself.

“Will,” Mrs. Styron called. “It’s our turn.”

Will slid his phone into his bag and picked up his backpack and skateboard under his arm. Mrs. Styron guided him into the judge’s chambers. Judge Hartwell rose from behind his desk and nodded towards them. “Just come from school, Mr. Van de Kamp?”

“Um, yes, sir,” he humbly answered.

“Well, I appreciate you coming in this afternoon,” he motioned towards two chairs that sat in front of his desk.

Mrs. Styron guided Will to the chair and sat opposite of him. Judge Hartwell tented his fingers in the front of his face. “So, it’s been almost a month William since that commotion in my courtroom. We’ve discovered your birth parents, and to my surprise, you managed to stay out of trouble. Congratulations is due.”

“Thank you?” Will replied uncertainly.

“But,” the judge sighed, opening two files, “we have a new quandary. Not everyday is a child in the system lucky enough to have to sets of people who want to adopt him, especially the original birth parents. But you have two sets of people who want the very best for you. I assume you know about the Gardners’ petition?”

Will nodded reluctantly. Since he had learned of the news, things had grown tense at the foster home. He was avoiding his foster parents like the plague. He stayed out later, wandering around Washington D.C. or just skating, not going home until he had too. “I do.”

“And Mrs. Styron has told you about the DNA tests with Agents Mulder and Scully? There is no doubt they are your biological parents.” Will nodded eagerly. The judge paused and drummed his fingers on the table. “What do you want, Will? Has your decision changed at all?”

He shook his head instantly. “I want to live with my birth parents.”

“Will,” Mrs. Styron chastised, “you can’t rush this decision.”

“I’m not rushing it,” he retorted. “I know it’s right in my heart. I want to live with them. No offense to the Gardeners or anything but I know where I belong.”

The judge nodded slightly, writing something in one of the files. “Keep in mind, William, that this does not guarantee your placement with the FBI agents. There are still things to consider.”

“Like what?”

“Living situation for one,” the judge shrugged. “The courts and CPS will be following up within the month on that. But in light of the background checks coming clean, I will allow visitation between you and them, William. No strings attached. Your case worker doesn’t have to be there, nor your foster parents. You can come and go as you please. Just don’t abuse the privilege.”

Will grinned. “For real, sir? That is so awesome!”

“Judge Hartwell, are you sure that is in the best thing for Will,” Mrs. Styron argued, “besides being very unorthodox.”

“If the boy is serious about living with these people, Mrs. Styron,” the judge patronized, “he deserves to get to know his birth parents at least. I have not been a judge sitting on the bench in family court for nothing. I do know a thing or two. Have a little faith. Everyone deserves their own miracle. Now, William, now that I have your answer, I will be talking to both parties during the next month while CPS conducts their business, okay? During that time, you are allowed to visit your birth parents as you please. Don’t abuse the privilege. And continue to stay out of trouble. You hear me, son?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mrs. Styron, I expect you and the Gardeners to abide by this arrangement and not interfere with this.”

“It won’t be a problem, Judge Hartwell,” Mrs. Styron said tightly.

“Good. I’ll be in touch, William, stay out of trouble.”

Will and Mrs. Styron got up to leave the judge’s chambers. He could not stop smiling.

. . . .

Scully got back to their basement office a little before noon, having finished her autopsy early. Mulder rose and greeted her with a kiss before they headed down to a local deli for lunch. He ordered their food as Scully secured a table them. She dug through her bag, searching for her phone when she noticed that she had an unread text message from Will. She had rushed back from Quantico that things like checking her phone had slipped her mind. She noticed the text was addressed to both her and Mulder.

“Mulder,” she called, as he came bearing their lunch. “Did you text Will this morning?”

“Just to wish him luck with the judge,” he shrugged. “Why?”

“He sent us both a text.”

Mulder drew out his own phone and frowned. He would have heard if he got a new text message but noticed he had left it on silent again. “For the record, Scully,” he said, holding up his phone. “I miss the old days when phones were bricks and all you could do was use them to call people.”

“Do you know how old you sound?” she asked. She bypassed the text message and opened the selfie she had sent Will earlier. “I even tried sending him a selfie.”

“A selfie,” Mulder chuckled examining the picture. “How current you sound with today’s lingo.”

She pushed him gently. “Shut up, Mulder. I just texted him because I could. I sent a picture of me working. He has a horrible sense of humor, just like his father. I don’t know, there is something just so normal about it. I know we missed a lot, but I don’t know. It just feels right.”

Mulder smiled and deposited her cobb salad and sprite in front of her and settled for his reuben, fries, and iced tea. She picked a couple of fries off his plate as she opened the message will had sent earlier. He took a bite of her salad in retaliation. He was distracted hearing her sharp intake of breath. “Oh my God.”

“What? Was it something he texted?” Scully had tears in her eyes as she showed Mulder the message. “He called us mom and dad, Mulder. Our son called us mom and dad.”

Mulder gently claimed her hand, squeezing it. “He’s going to come home, Scully. I promise.”

She nodded and attempted to eat some of her salad. Her heart was drumming in her chest and it did not feel like it could slow down. He kept a hold of her hand as he began to eat his own lunch. She nodded towards his phone. “Mulder, your phone is ringing.”

“So it is. Mulder,” he answered. “Mr. Brickman, what a surprise to hear your voice?”

Scully sat up straighter at the mention of their lawyer. She watched Mulder’s face during the brief exchange. “Really? Are you sure? Like this is legit? That’s wonderful news. Better than wonderful, it is amazing. I’ll tell Agent Scully. Thank you, Mr. Brickman. Yes. Have a good afternoon.” He hung up the phone and gently caressed Scully’s cheek. She arched an eyebrow at the rare public display of affection. “Will met with the judge today, made his intentions known. We have a month before the next hearing and child services will be checking out our living situation. But the judge said he could visit us, without that she devil he calls his case worker or the foster parents, whenever he wants.”

“So, we don’t have to hide it?”

“No,” he smiled.

She reached up and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “What do you say we bring him with us to Bed, Bath, and Beyond tonight and grab dinner too?” she suggested softly.

“I think that is a brilliant idea, Agent Scully,” he chuckled.

#xfiles #xf fanfic #msr #teen!will #mulder #scully #fanfic #txf #my fic #runaway christmas #alternate universe #xf fic

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justintimbershit · 7 years

Note

1-99

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?XO - John Mayer Cabaret - Justin Timberlake Lights On - Shawn Mendes Bad Habit - The KooksHow Would You Feel - Ed Sheeran You’re Gonna Llive Forever in Me - John Mayer

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?literally John Mayer so I can ask him why the FUCK he played XO in Chicago and why that was only the 10th time ever and first and only time of TSFE tour he played it

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.“Mom’s stumped us. We had absolutely no idea who she’d dredge” (I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson)

4: What do you think about most?how terrible life is and then how much i wanna die tbh

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?“Jena should i get dropped off at your house then we can go get joe & julie?” IOWA TOMORROW FOR ED :DDDD

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?always w shirt but no pants lol

7: What’s your strangest talent?hating life as much as i do idk i have no talent

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)girls r hot n nice boys r hot n mean

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?yeah bc we were in love lol :(

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar? idk i usually dont

11: Do you have any strange phobias?feet, being alone but also being in large crowds, idk theyre not very weird

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?no?

13: What’s your religion?idk man none atm prob

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?looking forward to going inside. but working and therefore reading.

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?behind bc i am ugly lol

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?um probably panic at the disco but then also the killers

17: What was the last lie you told?“its fine” bc no it is not fine i wanna fight

18: Do you believe in karma?ya i think so. maybe

19: What does your URL mean?i like Justin Timberlake and also swearing

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?weakness is probably just who i am as a person and strength is idk i dont have any

21: Who is your celebrity crush?lmao. you say this like i have one. i have many. like thousands.

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?nope

23: How do you vent your anger?talk to someone usually

24: Do you have a collection of anything?movie/concert/sporting event tickets and also empty gatorade bottles on my floor

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?phone bc im ugly

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?eh. better than what i was but could be better

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?hate is my sisters voice lol love is john mayers voice bc he sounds like a fuckin angel

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?what if i was someone else but not really someone else just like what if i was me with a better life or a differnt life in which things didnt always go so terribly for me ya know

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?ghosts maybe but aliens def

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.right arm some paper hanging off my nightstand and left nothing

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?the faint scent of clean laundry and lotion

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?hm.. great question. i feel like ive been to some pretty bad places but i cant recall any???

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?ive never been to either but east coast i think

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?justin timberlake bc hes one of the most attractive men in the entire world

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?bein happy, doin what you want, livin

36: Define Art.something someone creates

37: Do you believe in luck?yes i do

38: What’s the weather like right now?humid i think

39: What time is it?9:41 pm

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?nope to both

41: What was the last book you read?i recently finished “The Upside of Unrequited” and now im workin on “More Than This”

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?no i hate it it makes me nauseous

43: Do you have any nicknames?jules

44: What was the last film you saw?o fuck um fist fight maybe?

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?the sunburn i got in florida was terrible bc i couldnt walk for a day so im gonnna say that

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?no :(

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?brandon saad being a chicago blackhawk again, tommy la stella, john mayer, reading gay books

48: What’s your sexual orientation?bi

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?uuuuum possibly ??? idk

50: Do you believe in magic?nah but also maybe

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?in my mind yes but most of the times my actions dont reflect that especially if its been a while

52: What is your astrological sign?sagittarius

53: Do you save money or spend it?both. i allow myself to spend it as long as i still have a decent amount saved

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?lunch at panera lol

55: Love or lust?neither bc they both suck when ur alone

56: In a relationship?no lol

57: How many relationships have you had?zero

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?nope i am not talented like that

59: Where were you yesterday?yesterday. i think i stayed home all day then me mary and joe hung out and went to get milkshakes at steak n shake

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?the inside of the bra bra sitting waiting to be put away lol

61: Are you wearing socks right now?indeed

62: What’s your favourite animal?sloths my fav

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?i dont have one bc if i did ppl would like me, tf

64: Where is your best friend?at home id assume

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.whats tumblr

66: What is your heritage?im italian but i was born here and so were my parents

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?watching an episode of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia before i showered

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?satan satan

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?yeah lmao who hasnt tho

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?i think so sometimes but other times im the worst person ever idk how i have friends

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?fuck u boss i love dogs and if u hate dogs that much as to not understand the situation i dont wanna work for a dog hater. asshole.

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?a. maybe probably b. everything ive never done but wanted to c. probably

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.fuck. um. shit. id say love but then u cant trust the person you love so like… but at the same time i love love so much i feel like id die w/o it n ya know i dont trust anyone anyways so im gonna say love

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?srsly…..Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC bc i cant be sad listening to that song lolol

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?9077

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?communication n openness

77: How can I win your heart?just be nice to me lol i have low standards

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?yes i do believe so

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?buying tickets to see john mayer lol that changed my life so drastically. my life is now pre john mayer and post john mayer. he literally fucking sang xo i will never get over it that will always be the happiest moment of my life im crying while typing this

80: What size shoes do you wear?8 - 9 ½ depending on the shoe

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?‘probably died because she said she wanted to die so often that death got sick of hearing it and killed her.“

82: What is your favourite word?fuck

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.justin timberlake. god im so fucked lol

84: What is a saying you say a lot?'i hate my life’ 'i want to die’ 'u should fight’

85: What’s the last song you listened to?Fools Gold by One Direction lmao

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?turquoise

87: What is your current desktop picture?justin timberlake leaning on a car lookin all hot n shit

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?myself tbh

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?uuuum idk it depends whos askin ya know. id answer certain questions if asked by one peson but not another

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?probably cry and attempt but ultimately fail to go back to sleep

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?flying or teleportation

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?when john mayer played XO at my concert obviously

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?losing all the pictures on my computer bc i keep saying im over it but im really not that was the entire past 4 years of my life in pictures and videos and theyre just gone its bullshit

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?oh man. so many. but if i had to choose one justin timberlake. wow bet no one saw that comin

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?literally fuckin no where im seeing ed sheeran in a matter of hours im not leaving. but if it were a different day lol id say amsterdam or boston

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?not that im aware of

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?when i was a smol child yea h but not recently

98: Ever been on a plane?when i was a child yes

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?um lol idk probably nothing tbh i dont wanna be held responsible for whatever happens afterwards

#questions

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lupin-bun · 7 years

Text

Oof! There’s a lot of these but Imma do it anyway...

1: Name - Jac (or moron. Either works)

2: Age - 26 physically. 12 mentally

3: 3 Fears - Balloons, the dark, PEOPLE!

4: 3 things I love - Animals, films, sleeping

5: 4 turns on - Pass

6: 4 turns off - Pass

7: My best friend - @thezombiewithglasses

8: Sexual orientation - Er... fucked if I know! Pan, I guess?????

9: My best first date - Sitting and talking about parrots until 2am (seriously)

10: How tall am I - 5′8″

11: What do I miss - University to be honest

12: What time were I born - 3:25pm

13: Favorite color - Purple and aqua blue

14: Do I have a crush - Not currently

15: Favorite quote - “There is always a choice. The choice might be between slavery and death but there is still a choice.” - Tyrion Lanister (No I don’t watch G.O.T. anymore but I managed to hear that line)

16: Favorite place - Wherever there’s peace, quiet and birds

17: Favorite food - It changes but I’m liking Chinese at the moment

18: Do I use sarcasm - Not at all! Geez. I NEEEEEEEVER use sarcasm! *Eyeroll* *Tutting* etc.

19: What am I listening to right now - Various rustlings of an owl on the webcam I have open.

20: First thing I notice in new person - Eyes

21: Shoe size - Kangaroo sized

22: Eye color - Yellowy green... I think it’s called hazel?

23: Hair color - Mousy with silver highlights

24: Favorite style of clothing - Pirate or punk (or punk pirate. Ooh! I’ll have to try that!!)

25: Ever done a prank call? - Fuck no!

27: Meaning behind my URL - I’m a captain and my name’s Jac

28: Favorite movie - ‘Jaws’ (sounds stupid I know but it has solid gold character development, I swear!)

29: Favorite song - ‘Dead Man’s Party’ - Oingo Boingo

30: Favorite band - Oingo Boingo

31: How I feel right now - Happy because I’ve had a nice day out :) (Also I need to pee but I don’t think that counts)

32: Someone I love - Craig

33: My current relationship status - Taken and happy (for 3 1/2 years)

34: My relationship with my parents - Pretty good actually

35: Favorite holiday - Newquay in 2013 because that’s where I met Craig

36: Tattoos and piercing i have - None

37: Tattoos and piercing i want - LOTS!!! FUCK!!! But I’m a chicken

38: The reason I joined Tumblr - Because my mates did. Lol

39: Do I and my last ex hate each other? - Well HE hates ME let’s put it that way

40: Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts? - Seeing as I now LIVE with the person I used to send those to, no.

41: Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? - Er... *Checks phone* No. Work colleague.

42: When did I last hold hands? - This morning <3

43: How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? - 20 mins

44: Have You shaved your legs in the past three days? - Nope. But Craig has.

45: Where am I right now? - In my living room

46: If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me? - I never get drunk anyway

47: Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level? - LOUD

48: Do I live with my Mom and Dad? - Nope

49: Am I excited for anything? - I’m nearing the end of a project, so yeah

50: Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to? - Yes.

51: How often do I wear a fake smile? - EVERY. FUCKING. DAY. at work

52: When was the last time I hugged someone? - About 3 hours ago

53: What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me? - She’d get a knuckle sandwich and Craig’s ass would get dumped

54: Is there anyone I trust even though I should not? - Probably. I’m way too trusting to be honest...

55: What is something I disliked about today? - The train being half an hour late! Ugh!

56: If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? - Trump. Down a dark alley. With a baseball bat.

57: What do I think about most? - What I want to be doing rather than the shit I actually do!

58: What’s my strangest talent? - I can bend back into a bridge and rest on my elbows

59: Do I have any strange phobias? - Fucking balloons! I hate them!

60: Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? - I WANT to be in front of it but I’m shit at it so...

61: What was the last lie I told? - I honestly can’t remember

62: Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? - *Shrieks in fear at the concept of EITHER*

63: Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens? Yes and yes

64: Do I believe in magic? - Yes

65: Do I believe in luck? - Mm... I’m not sure about that one

66: What's the weather like right now? - Mild. Also dark because it’s 8:30 at night

67: What was the last book I've read? - Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

68: Do I like the smell of gasoline? - Yes actually

69: Do I have any nicknames? - Not any more but my dad used to call me “muppet” when I had long hair

70: What was the worst injury I've ever had? - Split my chin open and the bone was visible

71: Do I spend money or save it? - Save it. Wanna buy a house. Mm hm

72: Can I touch my nose with a tongue? - Nearly

73: Is there anything pink in 10 feet from me? - Yes. An old diary

74: Favorite animal? - I have LOADS!! Don’t make me choose!

75: What was I doing last night at 12 AM? - ...Hurr hurr. Fuckin’!

76: What do I think is Satan’s last name is? - Smith (lol)

77: What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it? - Baby Jane (I don’t fucking know why!)

78: How can you win my heart? - “Want to go see this new kid’s movie? I’ll buy the snacks”

79: What would I want to be written on my tombstone? - “Out to lunch. Back in 5 minutes”

80: What is my favorite word? - Bollocks

81: My top 5 blogs on tumblr - I don’t know!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

82: If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say? - Stop fucking up the world please. Thank you kindly.

83: Do I have any relatives in jail? - I hope not

84: I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power? - Shapeshifting

85: What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? - It would really depend who was asking. There’s no one question I really fear answering under the right circumstances

86: What is my current desktop picture? - Reno and Rude from ‘Advent Children’

87: Had sex? - See question 75

88: Bought condoms? - Yes

89: Gotten pregnant? - No

90: Failed a class? - No

91: Kissed a boy? - Yes

92: Kissed a girl? - Yes

93: Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain? - Yes

94: Had job? - *Have job

95: Left the house without my wallet? - Ho yes! And fuck me was that annoying!

96: Bullied someone on the internet? - No

97: Had sex in public? - .... Next question

98: Played on a sports team? - Does Karate count???

99: Smoked weed? - Yes

100: Did drugs? - ....OTHER than weed I assume? No

101: Smoked cigarettes? - No (I’ve smoked weed but not tobacco. How ‘bout that)

102: Drank alcohol? - Yep

103: Am I a vegetarian/vegan? - No

104: Been overweight? - “Technically” I’m overweight now but I don’t give a fuck.

105: Been underweight? - Yes and it sucked.

106: Been to a wedding? - A few

107: Been on the computer for 5 hours straight? - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

108: Watched TV for 5 hours straight? - PAH HA HAAAAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!

109: Been outside my home country? - Yes. Twice. Once to France and once to Prague

110: Gotten my heart broken? - Fuck yeah

111: Been to a professional sports game? - No

112: Broken a bone? - Not yet, fingers crossed

113: Cut myself? - Yes (and I assume this means self harm)

114: Been to prom? - Yeah but it was while I was with someone abusive so I didn’t enjoy it

115: Been in airplane? - Yup

116: Fly by helicopter? - No but I want to

117: What concerts have I been to? - Went to a Stiff Little Fingers gig on Monday and also been to a few others and also seen Danny Elfman perform.

118: Had a crush on someone of the same sex? - Yes

119: Learned another language? - Trying to learn Russian (just because)

120: Wore make up? - Yes. Love it

121: Lost my virginity before I was 18? - No

122: Had oral sex? - Yep

123: Dyed my hair? - Yes. I’ve been purple, blonde and silver.

124: Voted in a presidential election? - No but I did vote in the general election in the UK

125: Rode in an ambulance? - Not that I remember

126: Had a surgery? - Does having my face stitched back together count?

127: Met someone famous? - Yas bitch! Met Danny Elfman and also met John Hurt at my graduation (I WANTED to meet the band members of SLF on Monday but we had a lift waiting and we didn’t want to be disrespectful)

128: Stalked someone on a social network? - I’m not proud of it but yeah. I was a lot younger.

129: Peed outside? - Yeah but only when I’ve really been caught short.

130: Been fishing? - No. I think it’s cruel if you’re not going to actually eat the fish you haul out of their natural habitat

131: Helped with charity? - Yep. I used to work at a bird rescue trust

132: Been rejected by a crush? - MAAAAAAAANY times

133: Broken a mirror? - I kicked one by mistake

134: What do I want for birthday? - Just had it but I got Pokémon cards that I wanted :)

#personal

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scarsbrother · 7 years

Text

Time and Reflection

Riza Hawkeye leaves Ishval. (Oneshot. Gen.)

ao3

Riza Hawkeye leaves Ishval right before dawn. Her watch reads 4 AM and, as she stands in the sand-covered station, she experiences as acute pain in the pit of her stomach. She boards the train taking her to Risembool at 5 AM and spends the time between then and 7 AM fighting nausea that she knows isn't the product of motion sickness. She boards the second train taking her to Central at 9 AM and she finally throws up at 10:00 AM in that train's bathroom. When she has nothing left to expel, she presses her forehead into the cool metal of her watch and feels somewhat grounded. She spends 10 AM to 11 AM passed out in the cramped train bathroom, leaning on the toilet she was sick in. She wakes up at 12 PM when someone pounds the door demanding to know, "when will you be done in there?!" She slinks back to her seat and politely declines the lunch that is offered to her at 12:30 PM. She stares out the window at the vast greenery until a man tells her, "You have done a great service for our country." She then spends 2 PM to 3 PM trying not to cry as she recalls those great services. She gets off of the train and steps onto the smoky platform of Central Station at 5 PM.

"Riza!"

She stiffens and reaches for her gun before registering that she needn't do so. She turns and is surprised to find that the sight of Rebecca Catalina does nothing to ease her nerves. "Rebecca, it's been a while."

Rebecca looks taken aback for a moment and it occurs to Riza that she probably looks as bad as she feels. She wonders if there is vomit in her hair. "Riza, babe, did you sleep at all on the train?"

"I slept."

"Ok… Good – that's good. Well," Rebecca's face scrunches up into a smirk. Riza remembers that Rebecca smirked a lot. She remembers that she used to find that rather charming. "I hope you're awake enough to thank your amazing best friend who showed up to take you home even though someone didn't tell me – "

"How did you find out when my train was arriving?"

Rebecca looks deflated. "Well, if I'm being honest, I just happened to be close to the train station and heard a gal talking about troops arriving this afternoon, I mean, well – now. I heard that troops would be arriving now and figured I'd see if troops included you."

Riza stares at Rebecca and wonders if she should be touched that her friend took the trouble to see her. Riza stares at her and wonders if she's a bitch for not feeling especially grateful. Riza stares at her picks up her luggage. "Where did you park?"

"Oh. I didn't drive. Didn't I just tell you? I was walking around this area and heard someone say troops were arriving. How exactly would I have heard that if I had been in my car?"

There is a playful lilt in Rebecca's voice. Riza forces a smile that she knows looks like a grimace. "Are we walking then?"

Rebecca definitely read her attempted smile as a grimace. "My apartment isn't far from here, babe. Let me take your stuff."

...

At 5:30 PM they walk to Rebecca's apartment. It is painfully awkward. Riza does not attempt to be good conversation. She lets Rebecca talk through the tension and concentrates on her surroundings. The Central air is thick with smog and cigarettes and it contrasts profoundly with Ishval where the air was thick with gunpowder and disturbed sand.

They reach her apartment at 6:30 and Rebecca drops Riza's luggage in the guest-room, which is really just her sparse living room, and leaves her whilst declaring that she needs a bath. Riza sits down on the couch, "your guest bed!", and looks at the patterns in the wood of Rebecca's floor. The textured swirls remind her of patterns the ashes from Roy's fires made when they were picked up by the wind. She looks up from the wood. She wonders when Roy would be leaving Ishval (maybe he had already left?) and whether he would be going to Central as well. She wonders if he has a friend to stay with. Hughes and his fiancé spring into her mind and she feels guilty for forgetting Hughes, he was a nice man. She remembers hearing of the proficiency and efficacy that Hughes, the nice man, demonstrated while slaughtering Ishvalans. She shakes off the thought and spends the rest of Rebecca's shower staring at her watch, counting along with the second-hand.

Rebecca finishes her shower at 7:00 PM and looks surprised to see Riza awake. Perhaps she thought that Riza, who was now sure she looked terrible and exhausted, would have taken the silence brought on by her shower to sleep instead of ruminating on the dark susceptibilities of nice men.

Rebecca makes a noise and Riza looks at her. Rebecca is not dressed for bed. "Well, Riza, I gotta be honest with you, babe, I didn't really expect you to still be awake. Why are you awake? You look like death, if 'm being honest."

Riza shrugs, "I didn't try to sleep. Why're you dressed up?"

Rebecca smiles in a guilty way. "I told you, I didn't technically plan to pick you up, I just happened to find you. I kinda planned a date tonight." Rebecca immediately cringes, evidently thinking Riza would be affronted to be viewed as second priority to her date. "Not that I won't totally cancel if you don't want me to go!"

"No, go. Honestly 'Becca, I don't want to talk to you."

Rebecca's face collapses for a second before she reconstructs it. Riza is confused for a second before realizing how unkind her words are. Riza tries to bring herself to care that she hurt her best friend's feelings. She used to care about hurting her best friend's feelings. "Rebecca – "

"No, it's okay. I get it, you're caught up in," Rebecca makes some vague hand gestures. "But hey! Why don't you just –erm – clean yourself up a bit and we can go out together!" Rebecca finishes on a smile.

"Rebecca why would you want me to come on your date?"

"Well, maybe not for the date, but Riza you don't need to feel obligated to stay cooped up in here! It's your first day back from wa-work! Go out and I don't know… celebrate? Get fucked up! God knows that the other soldiers are celebrating being back home. Just yesterday, I was in The Red Lion – that's a bar about two blocks from here – and this guy – and I knew he was a soldier because he was just built Riz' like, wow! – So this guy was wasted and – "

Riza stops listening. She actually considers it for a second – going out. Getting fucked up. Other soldiers who had the same experiences, who had to know what she was going through, who had killed people, who were just getting home, they were all getting drunk and celebrating the end of the war. Maybe it was a coping mechanism she hadn't heard about? She could use a coping mechanism. Riza thinks about leaving with Rebecca and drinking away her war-time troubles like those other soldiers. She remembers how her father would drink himself into a stupor when he was feeling especially disagreeable. That was reason enough not to partake. Besides, what would happen? Either she'd drink alone and lose herself in a black out or she'd drink with someone at the bar and spend a night with them, lose herself in their touch. Both ideas make her distinctly uncomfortable. "I think I'll pass on the offer, but thanks Rebecca."

Rebecca looks at her. "Ok, Riza." Rebecca left.

...

Riza stays at Rebecca's apartment. She pretends to be asleep when Rebecca returns and she pretends to be asleep when she feels Rebecca gently places a blanket over her. The city shines through the window in Rebecca's living room and illuminates Riza's watch. She sees that it is 3 AM and she watches the seconds tick by until she falls asleep at 4.

...

Riza wakes up and it is significantly darker outside. She squints at her watch, it reads 5 AM. Riza gets up and goes into the bathroom. Riza looks into the mirror. She does have vomit in her hair, which is longer than she likes and badly kept. Her eyes are red. She is still wearing her uniform; she hasn't even taken off her boots despite being in Rebecca's apartment for about 12 hours. Riza takes off her boots and her clothes and steps into the shower. She turns the dial to the hottest setting. She turns away from the spray so that it hits her back, her tattoo. The water is icy when it first comes down, but it gradually becomes hot enough that she yelps in pain. Her body forces her to turn it cooler. She wonders if Roy's fire would hurt the same way when he burns her back.

Riza suddenly realizes she had no way of reaching Roy. No phone number, no address, no way of making him deliver on his promise. The panic crawling up her throat subsides when she remembers that she can find him through the records at Central Headquarters. She resolves to stop dwelling on him until the time comes.

She lathers soap onto her body and rinses soap off of her body. She feels her ribs sticking out of her chest. This is probably the skinniest she has ever been. This is probably the least attractive she has ever been, she notices, as she steps out of the shower and once again meets her piteous reflection. In a split-second decision, she decides to cut her scraggly hair. She opens Rebecca's medicine cabinet and finds a small pair of scissors. She gathers up a clump of her hair and shears it off. She gathers another clump and another clump and another until her hair is resembling a crew cut once more. The haircut looks clumsy and misshapen but Riza finds the length comforting.

Riza starts to dress and, though her clothes are dirty, she feels cleaner than she has since stepping onto the station. As she drags her pants from her pile of clothes her watch clatters onto the floor, facedown.

Riza scours Rebecca's sparse kitchen and finds a mug and Rebecca's coffee brewer. She takes the coffee onto her guest bed (sofa). Riza looks out of Rebecca's window. The sun peeks out of the city's skyline. It looks rather beautiful, really. Very different from Ishval. Riza ignores the tight feeling in her chest that comes along with the comparison, she is determined to appreciate the moment. Riza glances down at her vacant wrist and notes that, for the first time since leaving Ishval, she doesn't actually know what time it is.

#mine #fullmetal alchemist #fma fic #riza hawkeye #roy mustang #royai #rebecca catalina #ishval #fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood #fma: b #fmab

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julietookoff · 5 years

Photo

HOLDING DOWN THE FART

It's been a long time since I posted. Also, it's been a long time since we did anything notable! Although the summer was long and too hot, we're enjoying Florida and seeing Shorty so much. I embrace my laziness. I signed up at CollecToons and Jigidi dot com. We've been talking about Texas since June, but the date keeps getting moved. I wanted to leave in the fall; Corny thought November. We took a nice cruise in December and have Dr. appointments in January. So far, the hope is to leave February 1, 2019.

We took the Jeep to Ferman's for a REAR differential leak; they replaced the FRONT axle on warranty...and left a drain hose unsecured so Corny had to change the fluid a couple months later.

End of July I took a solo trip in the Jeep to Wauseon, OH for an event. On the way up I stopped in Frankfort, KY for some Interstate Challenge Finals.

^I loved the little town of Frankfort, KY

I took my bike and tent for the three day event and stayed at the Fulton County Fairgrounds a few nights. I rode my bike a lot, did a Poker Run, and traded a bunch of pathtags and stuff. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t take any pictures.

After the event I headed east to add some new-to-me states to my geo-portfolio: PA, NH, ME, VT, MA, RI, CT, NJ, WV and MD. I did a six state streak in one day with MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ and PA. I missed DE on this trip. I couldn't remember why I had rushed home until I checked back on my eMails to Corny. I was running out of pills. Now I just need to geocache in DE and Alaska to make it all 50 states.

^PA State Game Lands 109: monarch on a milkweed. This is my favorite of all the pictures I ever took.

I have always wanted to get Dolly a guinea pig. This summer Dolly started having trouble making it down the RV steps. She is 12 years old . I thought if not now, then when? We got Piggie in August - just a tiny little thing! I admit I love her more than Dolly does. Piggie purrs when I pet her and since Shorty house-sat for us, she squeaks whenever we open the fridge door! She looooves bananas and broccoli.

In September, Corny took a solo van trip allaway up to Vancouver! He watched the filming of some "The Flash" and "SuperGirl" shows. Here are some of his pictures:

^Sink, fridge, microwave. (Bathroom door).

^ “Almost” queen size bed; T.V.

^Bathroom has a shower, too. Cassette toilet.

^Under-bed storage with spare tire. Or for stashing a body.

^Sam Houston grave

^Branch Davidian site in Waco, TX. A filmmaker was there making a documentary and gave a detailed tour >

^Featured on the Travel Channel. Between Waco and Ft. Worth>

Not to tell tales, but Corny ate here more than once...

^Las Vegas, NM. Lots of movies have been filmed here >

^New Mexico, between Las Vegas and Los Alamos

^This is now a public restroom with a dump station nearby.

^Bomb making >

^Near Taos, NM >

^Colorado >

^ Vancouver, B.C. Steam-powered clock >

Queen Elizabeth Park >

^Tom Cavanagh, directing the 100th episode of “The Flash”

^The Flash (Grant Gustin)

^Carlos Valdes, super genius/nerd on “The Flash”

^Save on Meats, a DDD where Corny admitted to (at least) three beers >

^Kevin Smith, directing “Supergirl”. I should mention that Corny made it onto an episode of "Supergirl". He is a blur sitting in a Dairy Queen.

^Stanley Park. Only a nerd would understand >

Less than a week after Corny got home, I packed for a hotel trip to Ocala for Finder's Fest. I hadn't registered because I didn't know if Corny would be back in time. I just popped in for short periods between caches. Man I got tired quick! The weather went from summer hot to winter cool overnight - and what a difference it made. I think I found 5-6 caches the first hot day, and like 25 the second day when it was 20 degrees cooler. Again, I’m ashamed to say that I took no pictures.

In October, Shorty and I discovered how flooded Tarpon Springs can be when we tried to go to the Sponge Docks for lunch. Hurricane Michael was passing by.

All three of us went to early voting. I was listening to Trump's campaign rallies on YouTube every night - sometimes he did them twice a day toward the end. After the midterms, he seemed to disappear. I thought he was probably exhausted, but I sure missed seeing him. Then I thought he must be depressed and hiding. Finally I realized he was still the same; the media was ignoring him. If you want to know what POTUS is up to, you have to check Twitter, Drudge and Politico. I have no interest in who is running in 2020. I already know who I'm voting for.

Shorty was off work on Thanksgiving so we celebrated at the RV. I did a turkey breast in the Crock-Pot. I made real mashed potatoes, dressing, green bean casserole with lots of real onions, root-beer carrots and pumpkin pie. By the time it was over, I had to take a nap. My back was aching. For Christmas we'll be having homemade pizza with red and green toppings!

Our 20-year anniversary cruise on the Norwegian Epic left from Port Canaveral and stopped at Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Georgetown (Grand Cayman), Harvest Caye (Belize), Costa Maya (Mexico), and Cozumel. Although there were things we thought were less than perfect, it was a very relaxing cruise. There was no "Promenade" deck - we have always done lots of laps on previous cruises. There were two teeny-tiny pools for 6000 passengers. There was no "central" elevator. They kept using something on the buffet floor that made it as slippery as ice. Otherwise, we enjoyed the food, the entertainment, and since we had an inside cabin, we would nap during the day then sleep like babies all night. At Costa Maya I missed a Geo-event at 9am because we slept till 10:30!

^Ocho Rios, where Dr. No, the first James Bond villain, hid out

^Georgetown >

^ Several hens brought bunches of chicks to get water from an A/C drain

^Harvest Caye. We enjoyed the giant pool here.

^Costa Maya. Wow, this place has gotten crowded. We had a couple beers at an open-air restaurant.

Ship’s Tour:

A few days after the cruise we attended a geo-Christmas party with gift exchange/steal. I loaded a big bag with my camo'ed pill bottles, Harbor Freight swag and random crap from the Christmas box in the basement. Corny brought home a very nice travel martini kit with shaker and little glasses! We only know one alcoholic, and they drink wine.

Movies I've seen since June: Oceans 8, Overboard, Hereditary, Book Club, Action Point, On Chesil Beach. Adrift, Deadpool, Tag, Sicario, Incredibles 2, Jurassic World, Won't You Be My Neighbor. Mission Impossible. The Meg, Slenderman, Hotel Transylvania 3, Disney's Christopher Robin, Eighth Grade, Death of a Nation. The Wife, Alpha, Peppermint, Pope Francis, Searching, Predator, The Nun, Crazy Rich Asians. Smallfoot, A Star is Born, Johnny English, Old Man and a Gun, Halloween, Beautiful Boy, Night School.

Life is Godd! We fit out.

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easytravelpw-blog · 5 years

Photo

Full text write on https://easy-travel.pw/what-i-spent-a-five-day-road-trip-to-joshua-tree-and-palm-springs/trip-planning/

What I Spent: A Five-Day Road Trip to Joshua Tree and Palm Springs

01 of 08

Upfront Costs

Emily Hymes

The upfront costs of vacations are predictable. It’s the little things—airport snacks, cocktails before dinner, tipping a tour guide—that can throw even the most well-planned vacation budget off track. In this new series, we’ll look at the spending patterns of real travelers in popular destinations, so you can estimate what you’ll actually spend. (Thanks for the inspiration, Refinery29!)

In this installment, two sisters take a road trip to California's Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park.

Flights: $640 (JFK – LAX, Delta Economy)

Hotels: The Saguaro: $552.00 for two nights (booked through Kayak); Hicksville Trailer Palace: $83.25 for one night; Teepee: $121.00 for one night

Rental Car: $466.28 (6 days + insurance, Hertz)

Size of Group: 2

Continue to 2 of 8 below.

02 of 08

Friday

Laura Hymes

4:30 p.m.: Laura and I embark on our first ever sisters trip. We start by taking the NYC subway (J Line) from Williamsburg, Brooklyn to the Airtrain in Jamaica, Queens for service to Terminal 4 at Kennedy Airport. It takes us about an hour. Cost: $15.50

5:30 p.m.: We're through security in under 15 minutes. (Thank you, TSA PreCheck!)

5:31 p.m.: Our flight is delayed, so we have time to kill. First stop — Hudson News for the essentials: Teen Vogue, InStyle, Nylon, water, and a bag of quinoa chips (we are suckers, but at least we will be hydrated and stylish). Cost: $31.99

6:51 p.m.: Laura says she is going to faint, so we b-line it to Panda Express. (Why did we skip Shake Shack, you ask? Well, it’s because we are going directly to In N' Out Burger the second we land in L.A. at midnight. Duh!) Cost: $8.70

6:24 p.m.: I can't stand when people eat without me, so I opt for the build your own salad from La Break Bakery. I do not recommend this place, but at least it is healthy. Cost: $13.08

7:21 p.m.: As we board, the flight attendants hand us Rice Krispie Treats as an apology for our flight being delayed. Because of this, we forgive them. Cost: Free

8:00 p.m.: Complementary snacks are served to economy passengers. Laura and I choose the cheese plate, and we're pleasantly surprised to find out it's from Murray's — a beloved cheesemonger in NYC. The platter was comprised of cheddar, gouda, and manchego with marconda almonds and some dried fruit and crackers.

11:14 p.m.: We land! Laura and I are tired, so we decide to skip In ‘N Out Burger (for now) and instead stop to buy candy to fuel us for the 3 hour drive ahead. Cost: $7.66

3:15 a.m.: We arrive at the hotel in Palm Springs. We are so tired, but hey, we made it!

Continue to 3 of 8 below.

03 of 08

Saturday

Emily Hymes

10 a.m.: We're off to a late start. We need to hydrate so we stop for overpriced waters at CVS. Cost: $12.18

10:50 a.m.: We head to Norma's in The Parker Hotel for breakfast, and feel chic as we order $30 egg entrees. Yes, it is expensive, but it's all about the experience! The lobby is designed by Jonathan Adler and couldn’t be any cooler. The worst part? We missed the Kardashians by one day! Cost: $95.39

12 noon: We begin our drive around Palm Springs for Desert X — art instillations throughout Palm Springs & the Coachella Valley that use the desert landscape as a canvas. We make five stops around the Valley, but both decide that our favorite is “Mirage”, a glass house that sits atop the mountains and reflects the surrounding landscape and people. Cost: Free

3 p.m.: We head over to the Moorten Botanical Garden for some plant history. Fun fact: they have the world's first Cactarium here (whatever that means). There are lots of cacti to see and there is a free tour of the gardens. Cost: $10

3:47 p.m.: Time to shop! We start at Sunny Dunes Antique Mall and then walk along Palm Canyon, popping in and out of stores for a little over an hour. We were told Trina Turk is a must-visit, since it's one of the first stores in Palm Springs (and Jonathan Adler also designed it). We're most successful at The Frippery, a vintage shop where Laura ends up with a very cute dress for the summer. Cost: $106.82

6 p.m.: We hit the Amigo Room at the ACE Hotel for a drink and light bite. We order the Palm Spritz, Cranky Coyote and chips & guacamole. We are hungry and need a cocktail, because our parents won't stop calling us to check in. Cost: $46.51

7:45 p.m.: We spot a photobooth on the way out. Of course the first attempt was a disaster, so have to take another round. Cost: $12.50 (or $6.25, if you do it right the first time)

8 p.m.: Dinner at Birba. We call ahead and are told they're full, but we go anyway and get two seats at the bar. We split a few things and have a glass of wine. The whole restaurant is outdoors and it is fun to people watch. Cost: $52.59

9:13 p.m.: We have a busy day tomorrow and are tired from traveling the night before, but want a nightcap so we go to Seymores, a speakeasy bar tucked away in a small room attached to Mr. Lyons Steakhouse (both owned by the same owners as Birba). We skip the fancy cocktail and go with a basic sparkling rose. Cheers! Cost: $23.00

Continue to 4 of 8 below.

04 of 08

Sunday

Emily Hymes

7:30 a.m.: We wake up early for an 8 a.m. yoga class at our hotel, only to find out the class is at 9 today. We decide breakfast sounds like a good alternative to stretching and being zen. We try our luck at Cheeky's (since it's early), but the line is out the door, so we go to King's Highway instead. This place has a mid-century vibe and good food. Laura gets the lox and I get the avocado toast. The avocados here are so creamy and good — we can't get enough. Cost: $48.63

10 a.m.: May the architecture tour commence! We set off on a self-guided tour we found online that includes modern steel structures & 70s style homes up on the hills. We also drive up to old Tuscany, located in the mountains, to see the homes of the stars, past and present. Elvis’s house was the coolest! We are lucky enough to catch an open house. Laura and I decide that our parents should buy it, so we can vacation here frequently. Also, we make sure to see the house with the pink door. Cost: Free

12:30 p.m.: Time for some poolside relaxation at our hotel, The Saguaro. It's noticeably less crowded than yesterday. We assume it's because it's a Sunday and people are checking out… and we don't mind at all. The pool floats are on point (think flamingos and swans) and just waiting for us to take pictures in. To complete the vibe, we order frozen cocktails. Cost: $26.16

3:30 p.m.: We have a late lunch at the Barn Kitchen in the Sparrows Lodge. When we walk in, we're initially faced by the pool, but we wander a little further and find the back garden with a long table and lots of outdoor seating. It is beautiful and tranquil back here. Laura and I split the ham and mustard melt and the hummus platter, which we accompany with ice teas. Pretty sure Laura is annoyed with how many times I tell her how much I love this place. Cost: $40.71

5 p.m.: I scream, you scream, we all scream! We're running out of time in Palm Springs so, why not? The Ice Cream Shoppe is a cute store that has lots of Californian paraphernalia in addition to inventive ice cream flavors. We both go for a small of the local favorite flavor — date — with rainbow sprinkles. The small is two scoops! We are very happy and very full. Cost: $9.63

7:20 p.m.: We head for drinks at the Draughtsman, an upscale sports bar with an outdoor area that has games. Laura and I play foosball and corn hole before sitting by the fire and enjoying our Aperol spritzes. (Oh, and just because I know you're wondering, I win both games.) Cost: $23.00

8:30 p.m.: We head to dinner at Las Casuelas Terraza, as we're told it was a must for Mexican, and sit close to the live music they have every night. Obviously, we start with chips and guacamole. Laura gets the enchiladas and I get the carnitas tacos. Cost: $53.91

9:30 p.m.: To burn off those carnitas, we walk along the main street and end up in a tourist shop to buy postcards to write to friends and family back home. Cost: $1.09

Continue to 5 of 8 below.

05 of 08

Monday

Emily Hymes

8:30 a.m.: We arrive for our third & final attempt for breakfast at Cheeky's. Again, there is a line, but we wait and fill the time by writing our postcards.

9 a.m.: We get a seat indoors — score! The menu is constantly changing so it is hard to plan ahead on this one. We order the bacon flight, which is a Cheeky’s staple and a must-try. Laura gets an omelet and I get a granola. We eat everything. Cost: $48.24

10:30 a.m.: We stop to send postcards from the post office. Cost: $2.25

11 a.m.: Then we stop for gas. Luckily, we find an affordable place to fill up. Phew! Cost: $31.16

12:35 p.m.: After a three-hour drive drive southeast, we arrive at Salvation Mountain, located in Slab City. The area is definitely off the grid — it's got a post apocalyptic feeling. People live here in tents, free from rent, but also without plumbing and electricity. The mountain itself is covered in artwork with inspirational words and drawings.

2:55 p.m.: We have spent most of the day in the car and are ready for one last meal in Palm Springs! We go to the Sandwich Spot for a sandwich on the “Dutch crunch” bread they are famous for. Then we head down the street to Great Shakes for the berry and almond shake. Cost: $8.99 & $5.50, respectively

4:45 p.m.: It’s time to bid farewell to Palm Springs and head to Joshua Tree. In a little under an hour we arrive at Hicksville Trailer Palace, where we're staying tonight, and it's truly a palace of trailers. Pictures don't do this place justice. There are about 10 trailers, ranging in size, scattered across the site, and we chose the smallest, The Pony. From hot tubs to archery, ping pong, and mini golf, this place could keep you entertained for hours. There's only one other guest staying here right now, so it's pretty quiet.

6:42 p.m.: We end up at the main bar in town: Pappy and Harriet’s. The wait for dinner is an hour and a half, so we get a drink (a beer is only $3.5!) and watch the live music — it happens to be open mic night. We're impressed by the food menu, too. We get a kale salad and split the pulled pork sandwich with fries. Cost: $36.05

9.39 p.m.: We're back at Hicksville for a night of games and trying to stay warm — we didn’t pack for the 35 degree weather (because it's April).

Continue to 6 of 8 below.

06 of 08

Tuesday

Emily Hymes

9:15 a.m.: We bid farewell to Hicksville and head to our first stop of the day: Noah Purifoy's Desert Art Museum. It's just 10 minutes from our “hotel” and supposedly life changing. In reality, its just a huge piece of land with different structures made out of debris, wreckage, and trash. It is a sight to see. Cost: Free (I would hope so!).

10 a.m.: We arrive at Joshua Tree National Park. The sight of the actual Joshua trees is breathtaking. Our first stop: Hidden Valley, for an easy trail to warm up our hiking skills. Then, we go up to Keys Point lookout for a beautiful view and an even more beautiful selfie. Then we wind our way around to our next stop, Skull Mountain. Over the mountain, the Joshua trees disappear and the Cholla Garden begins. We find Arch Rock on the way back, for one last rock climb that day. Cost: $25 (car entrance for the day)

2:30 p.m.: We are starving from all that activity! We head to the recommended Crossroads for lunch where I get a turkey sandwich and Laura gets a quesadilla. Again, we both have ice teas. Cost: $37

3:30 p.m.: Just up the road from lunch is Art Queen & Sun Alley shops — a collection of eclectic stores and art spaces. The most unique store we find is the Crochet Museum, a small green structure housing hundreds of crotched items.

4 p.m.: We head over to the town of Yucca Valley to shop. We start at an antique shop, where I find a set of 14 glasses that I love. Laura basically drags me out, kicking and screaming, and reminds me that I can’t bring glasses back with me on the plane. Then we go to a few vintage shops — The End, Hoof & Horn, and Promised Land. All the stores have such unique pieces and locally sourced trinkets. Cost: Free (But I really wish I was typing $50 right now… for the 14 glasses).

5:15 p.m.: We arrive at our teepee for the night. Yep, you heard me right… our teepee! It's housed on a piece of land that has about six other teepees of all sizes. Ours is the smallest, but the inside has a light, heater, and heated blanket so we will be set for the cold evening weather. We are proud of ourselves for really beginning to embrace the outdoors.

6:30 p.m.: Nothing completes a vacation more than a stop at Walmart!! We go just for firewood, but end up with graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. I think you all know where we are going with this. We also pick up some appetizers of pretzel goldfish, and individual cheese packets (we don’t want the coyotes to get to any of our leftover food!). Cost: $28.64

6:40 p.m.: We decide to gas up before our drive back to LA in the morning, and find a cheap station on a side street. Cost: $34.91

8:15 p.m.: We go to Pie For the People for a slice. This place is known for their New York pizza, with a twist. Laura goes for a plain slice and I for a veggie, which is very spicy. They are huge slices and we can’t finish them, which is surprising for us. Cost: $12.78

9:10 p.m.: We attempt s'mores back at our teepee. There is something we aren't doing right, because the chocolate won't melt. At this point, I think I hear a coyote so I run inside the tent and end all of our outdoor time for the night. Laura is not amused. Just when I think I can handle the outdoor lifestyle…

Continue to 7 of 8 below.

07 of 08

Wednesday

Elusive Photography/Getty Images

9:45 a.m.: First stop: Hadley Fruit Orchard to peruse the dried fruit selection and try the famous date shake. If I could have one everyday, I'd be a happy girl. Cost: $22.81

9.50 a.m.: Our road trip to L.A. begins! We listen to Spotify “California” playlists all the way there, while Laura finally takes the wheel.

11:27 a.m.: We arrive in L.A.’s arts district to check out the Hauser & Worth Gallery. Parking is impossible, so we stop at a lot. Cost: $12.00

12:30 p.m.: We drive along Mulholland drive, atop the Hollywood Hills, where you can get great views of Los Angeles and the Valley, and stop at a few overlook passes, including Runyan Canyon — a place known for celebrity sightings. Unfortunately, there are no paparazzi in sight, therefore I am 100% sure there are no celebs, either. Then we head down Sunset Blvd and Melrose.

3 p.m.: We stop for lunch at Joan's on Third. It's a gourmet market with an extensive menu of sandwiches and salads. We sit outside and enjoy the last few hours we have in the warm weather (now that we are out of the mountains). Cost: $47.00

3:45 p.m.: I can't help but stop in Kreation Kafe to stock up on my favorite garlic almonds. Cost: $12.70

4:30 p.m.: Time to hit the beach! We go to Venice Beach and walk along the water, past Muscle Beach and then through the canals, which are unlike anything I've ever seen before.

7 p.m.: Our final gas-up for the car. Cost: $21.16

8:30 p.m.: Our last stop before our red-eye flight is the place that was supposed to be our first stop: In ‘n Out! It was worth the wait. Cost: $10.21

9:30 p.m.: We're back at the airport. We plan accordingly, so there is enough time to drop off the car and take the shuttle to the terminal and still have time at the gate.

Continue to 8 of 8 below.

08 of 08

Thursday

Emily Hymes

7:10 a.m.: We touch down at JFK. We're debating whether to splurge on a cab or take the subway home, but we decide on the AirTrain/Subway combo to save money, so we can start saving up for our next sisters trip! Cost: $15.50

Totals:

Food & Drink: $669.89

Activities: $116.82

Miscellaneous: $109.01

Accommodations: $756.25

Transportation: $1226.6 (including gas & parking)

#travel #airlinetickets #airtickets #cheapairfare #planetickets #travelinsurance #travelquotes #travelblogger #traveller #travelling #travelocity #travelodge #vacation

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thomasswanson98 · 6 years

Text

A day at Garmisch

The alarm goes off at five forty-five in the morning, it is a brisk summer morning as I try to wake myself up to go to work. As I force myself to wake up again at the crack of dawn in the summer wondering if I even need a job as a crawl out of bed, once I am up I make my way to the bathroom and my day has begun. I walk out to my car on this early morning to get a cup of coffee so that I can be awake by the time I get to the kitchen, after the 20-minute drive blaring music and sipping coffee I arrive at my work place and get out of my car the morning shift has begun.

As I walk into the kitchen it’s a bit chilly and I ask myself again to do I really need a job what 18-year-old is spending his summers working all the time. I clock in and I have officially begun my shift, as I turn on the flat top and all the other kitchen appliances the other cook walks in. A six-foot man, not much to him and keeps to his self this is my company for the morning. We start to get everything ready to cook breakfast so that by 8 am we are ready to serve anyone who walks through the door, once all the breakfast prep is done the cook goes out for his morning smoke it’s a tradition for him by now I go along to accompany him and talk about what we need to do today.

Once we are back inside we stand around and wait for the first ticket to come in while we are holding a conversation sipping on our coffee we hear the ticket machine our first costumer has come in the day from hell has begun. As quick as the first ticket came in the other 12 tickets came in just as fast and what do you know we are packed full and it is only 8:30 in the morning. The next couple of hours are the same jammed packed not even a second to spare to step out from behind the line to cool down by 10:30 as we step outside again for one last breath of fresh air until we are packed again.

Once we come back inside we see a ticket sitting there from the bar, it is 10:45 why is the bar already open and as I walk out to see if there’s anyone out there I see the whole bars packed and my day just got even better. As the tickets continue to pile in I’m scrambling in the back seeing if we have everything we need for lunch and 10 minutes in I realize that we don’t. Through-out the lunch rush I’m constantly running up and down the stairs grabbing things as I need them from the cooler and the freezer and the last time I come up I realize the other cook is gone nowhere to be found must be down stairs grabbing something. 45 minutes pass and I stand there cooking all the food as fast as I can sweat rolling down my face from the heat in the kitchen the other cook comes back as I put the last ticket up he was stocking the cooler in the middle of a rush typical from this man.

By the end of the shift I’m covered in sweat, worn out from standing in a kitchen all day, at this point I keep thinking that the ticket machine keeps going off, but it is not this is when I decided that I need to get out of this place for the day. Once the other cooks arrive I’m out the door to enjoy the rest of my Saturday this is just a casual weekend at Garmsich if you thought this was bad be there on a holiday weekend.

1. The purpose of the story is to tell the readers or audience what the last couple of years of my high school career consisted of, which was working constantly.

2. The story is compelling because me the writer wrote it in a fashion that it would be compelling to the audience.

3. The tone of the story would be almost funny or comical relief

4. The story doesn’t really impact me emotionally it was just writing about another day at my job

5. The story matters because to me at my work place my co-workers were almost all my friends everyone in the restaurant got along well.

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