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drawing-prompt-s · 6 months

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Promphet update

Hey, I'll be gone for a little while longer but I wanted to give you guys an update because I know some of you have been concerned.

I moved out of the apartment and into a new unit today. This has a win and some losses.

The win is of course I am not at least no longer living with my roommate and basically her friends since those mfers should have paid rent for how nightly they're over. I live diagonal from her, but I will take what I can get. It also made the move easier.

Downside, she stole or destroyed basically everything of mine in the common areas that she could. What items she didn't just steal or use and never replace (and this goes for her friends/gusests as well), are thoroughly unusable. Aside from the most expensive at least - but I could have had her head on a spike for it.

But this damages ranges from now missing every cleaning product I owned (fabulosos, bleach, detergent, etc - so many etcs), to missing personal items or finding them in worse condition than they were left (my room was tiny, I only had so much room), to straight up just destroying my cookware or stealing it. She stole most of it and damaged pretty much all the rest - cookware less than a year old is now rusted beyond repair and had to be thrown out. I have one pot and 1 pan now everything else is missing. This coming from the girl who threw a whole fit in mediations about not wanting her things touched and separating our stuff out, only to help herself to using and destroying mine, of course).

On top of that she blatantly ignored mediation compromises and was just a general dick - even the maintenance men helping me move were commenting on it. After I realized she had stolen my things I didn't even want to both getting the food, but they told me to sit tight and they got what they could. She stole and kept most of my food as well, of course, because she got full dictation over what could and could not go.

The office provided me a $50 card to Walmart - which is nice because they're not technically responsible for anything of mine lost or stolen. But after the both the leasing and property managers came to talk to her the latter realized that this was going to go south quickly and decided to at least try and help cover some of my missing items. it wont be much of a dent considering Walmart prices, but it's a nicer gesture than I expected, and they got first hand experience with even a tip of her behavior that I have endured for the last 4 months.

4 months of this. I am so, so, so tired. I am certainly rambling but her and her friends did not let me get any sleep the night before. Which only made today worse - besides living off saltines and unsweetened apple sauce for more than a week (I ran out of the saltines 3 days ago - I splurged on take out with how hungry I was today though, and so I didn't pass out).

I am still made about the cookware though. Cookware is so expensive and most all of mine was gifted.

I can't sleep yet because I have to work, but god I want to. I am so tired. I have been so tired. I'm just crashing on the couch for the next few days.

2. Because I moved units today I was able to take Jolene to the vet and get her treated. She's doing good. A little mad at me for taking her and she got car sick, but she's cuddled up with me as I work and write this post. Looking sweet as can be and stealing my heart.

3. I feel like there was supposed to be a third part to this, and I started writing it, but for the last 4 months my mind has been fuzzy. Especially right now with the lack of sleep. So it just vanished from my head immediately. Sorry ya'll.

Give me a few more days and hopefully I'll be back good as new.

Your local, mostly friendly, eldritch Prompt Prophet

#promphet speaks #prompt prophet #promphet

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identifying-cars-in-posts · 9 months

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so i want to get a small/compact pickup truck for my next vehicle, but with how huge pickups are getting now, i imagine i'll have a hard time finding one from within the last 10ish years that's actually "compact". i tend to like trucks from the 80s or 90s when it comes to design and aesthetic, like 9th generation F150s or 1st/2nd gen ford rangers, but i also don't know how good my chances are of finding a truck that old that's in decent shape and reasonably affordable. do you know of any more modern "compact" pickups that are still truly compact and not huge? or any tips for investing in an older truck that may or may not be in the best shape? you can also just use this ask as a platform to rant about the hugeness of modern trucks if you want bc it sucks

yeah the hugeness of modern trucks is absolutely awful and i hate it. there really isn’t, at least in the us, a true compact pickup anymore. the tacoma is massive, the ranger is massive, they’re all just enormous now. so the biggest killer of old cars in general but especially trucks tends to be rust. if you live somewhere where rust isn’t as much of an issue like the south or like desert regions, a once over with a mechanic and willingness to keep up with maintenance a bit more strictly than you might with a new car should be all you need to keep a lot of older trucks on the road. in terms of models i recommend toyota tacomas, chevy s10s and silverados, dodge dakotas, and ford rangers and f150s like you were looking at. if you’re in an area where snow and salt are a concern, like the northeast, try to find one that hasn’t spent as much of its life in the rust belt, or consider traveling to get one. if you can’t, then just try to find one with as little rust as possible, just know that rust will eventually cause a problem somewhere. but with proper maintenance, an old pickup will easily go for hundreds of thousands of miles, so don’t shy away from them just because they’re old!

#not a car id #asks #anon

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thatspookyagent · 2 years

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Being a Pro Hero with wings and dating Hawks (GN!Reader) would include...

Warnings: Small mentions of blood and tiny bits of angst

a/n: This will be my second time writing for Hawks cause honestly this man is just SOOO much fun to write. Also I have more headcanon ideas that are based off of having wings (mainly ones that look similar to Hawks) so don’t be afraid to encourage me to write more about that specifically! Also I have yet AGAIN gotten carried away with headcanons so I not only did quite a few headcanons but ALSO wrote up a small drabble at the end of this. This is my very first time doing a little drabble within headcanons so let me know what y'all think about it and my characterization of Hawks. Without further ado, if you liked what you read, remember to reblog it! And while you're at it, check out my other works for anything else that might tickle your fancy! Enjoy!

If you want to be tagged in any of my content, don’t be afraid to tell me via my ask box or through messages! Just remember to be clear about what specific kinds of content, characters, and fandoms you want me to tag you in or if you want to be put on my general tag list! I’m always looking to add more people and I’d be more than happy to add you (if you wish)! :3

I feel like Hawks would react differently based on if your wings are similar to his or very much different

If your wings are similar to his I think he’d fine them pretty intriguing but also comfortable in a homely way due to the fact that they remind him of his own and he’s very proud of his own wings and what they can do and have accomplished

He likes to tug or brush his fingers lightly against the very tip of your wings as an affectionate gesture

Definitely loves to touch both of y’all’s wing tips together like y’all are fist bumping

But in all seriousness he absolutely shows the most physical affection through touching your wings or touching/brushing his against yours

If you’re the one to mainly initiate said wing caressing then he would love that form of affection even more than he did before

Some of his favorite positions to snuggle in are where your wings and his are touching or lying on top of one anothers

Loves the friction that the wings will make when they rub against each other

If your wings are quite soft, it’ll feel even better, and maybe even ticklish at times

His two favorite snuggling positions are when you lay on top of him, with your arms around his back and vice versa, meanwhile your wings and his also hug one another intimately

The other favorite position is whenever the two of you spoon, your wings act as little blankets to lay softly on top of whoever’s the little spoon

They actually work to create some level of warmth when it gets a bit chilly outside or inside

He likes to be a bit of a playful ass at times by rubbing his wings against fabrics and then touching them against your skin, causing one of those shocks that you get from touching a car door handle

One of your favorite bonding activities to do with Hawks is to help preen his feathers and then have him preen yours

I personally headcanon that Hawks does have to do SOME type of maintenance to his feathers especially after a particularly tough battle since the feathers can collect all kinds of dirt, sweat, and debris

And once they come back to Hawks after being sent out by him to do various tasks, they can feel a little awkward and grainy cause they’re dirty themselves

Not to mention they can get burned, burned, sticky, etc, so they’re not immune to the elements or being roughed up or out of alignment in general

So the two of you will have wing cleaning days were it’s literally just you and him sitting on top of a tarp that’s on the floor and just picking the grime out of each others feathers

It’s extremely therapeutic and calming especially with some music going in the background or y’all’s mutual comfort shows playing on the TV off to the side of you

A times you him and talk but y’all two get into so much that it’s one of the only times in your relationship with Keigo were he’s dead silent but not because something is wrong or bothering him

If you’re new to having someone else clean your wings for you, Hawks is arguably the best pro hero in that department and man to be handling your feathers

He’ll always be careful and cautious when cleaning your wings, and even more so if he finds any injured ones (blood feathers)

Knows just how to deal with blood feathers and will pluck them just right while also applying sufficient first aid to them, all the while making sure that his care causes minimal bleeding for your wings

Hawks will also teach you how to deal with blood feathers on your own as well but he won’t protest if you overall prefer that he take care of them when you find any

Whenever it’s your turn to preen his feathers, Hawks likes to hum softly while you do so, and even goes as far as to lay on his back and sometimes with his head in your lap

Will not be upset with you or hold a grudge against you if you accidentally injury him or have to do so because you’re trying to treat a particularly nasty injury on him

At the end of every cleaning he likes to spray some light perfume onto both your wings and his, like dog groomers do after they’ve just gotten done grooming a dog’s fur sksks

Another one of his favorite past times with you is when the both of you take turns stroking and petting each others wings while watching TV, listening to music, reading, etc

If you’re wings are vibrant colors, he’ll admire them even more and really enjoy seeing them while in broad daylight because he gets to see how the sun reflects and bounces off the myriad of colors on them

His first action whenever the both of you wake up in the morning is to kiss the shoulders of your wings and spread them out ever so slightly to admire them yet again

That’s basically his version of saying good morning which you’ve learned to do to him usually whenever you wake up first before him

Loves waking up with his face in your wings and for that to be the first thing that he sees every morning and last thing that he sees before going to sleep

Likes to “hold wings” with you whenever the two of you are out and about in public and will gladly also hold hands with you on top of that

Hawks also likes to do things that make not only your body react but your wings as well

Will absentmindedly play with them whenever he’s bored especially at home cause he’s not really used to having someone else whose wings he can mess with

Does things like stretching them out and then folding them back in again, which can actually be kinda of relaxing on the muscles especially if you’re sore from a recent fight with an adversary

Speaking of fighting, both you and Hawks gained the team duo name “Birds of a Feather” from the citizens that you and him have saved and y’all are hands down the hottest (literally and figuratively) Pro Hero duo to date

You’ve learned to synchronize both your speed and flying abilities with Keigo’s and both citizens and heroes alike get a kick out of watching the both of y’all fly around together

You ever seen videos of birds “becoming official” or mating by flying together in intricate dances, yeah that’s you and Hawks

Though overall Hawks would rather you not fight and stay safe off to the sidelines instead, despite that he knows that would be insulting your potential and your strength if he brought it up so he fights the hardest whenever you’re around to make sure that never happens

You can tell that he does it as well and it makes you push yourself even harder to protect him, though you both know that you’re not perfect, and stuff happens

If you do get hurt, he’ll fight to the death to get your somewhere safe, and to receive proper medical assistance

Will always shield you with his wings while you’re down, even if he doesn’t have a single feather left to fight or defend you with

If he gets hurt, you will come out wings swinging to ensure that man makes it out alive, even if you don’t

He hates the very thought of you doing something sacrificial stuff like that but he could never blame you because he operates and thinks the same exact way and would be a stone faced hypocrite to get onto your back about something like that

Now that we’ve talking a bit about flying, another favorite bonding activity of yours to do with Hawks is to just flying around the city, with him right next to you

Doesn’t have to be to any particular place, y’all just fly together, hands holding, and talking about whatever

Can be about other Pro Heroes, what’s being happening in the world lately, or about the silliest of things

As long as y’all have the city to look down on, the many lights brightening up both of your faces, as the two of you cruise through the skies calmly

In fact your very first date with him was just like that and you hold it very close to your heart which Keigo does as well

He enjoys doing little tricks and twirls with you and showing you new styles and positions of flight

If you show him a thing or two that he doesn’t know himself or isn’t able to do, he’ll be greatly impressed with your flying capabilities

He’s incredibly internally grateful to have someone around that’s so much like him in many ways but also different at the same time

Most folks would think that Hawks would be pretty arrogant about having someone around who’s like him and even view them as competition to take out of the picture

But in truth, he’s quite lonely...

He’s flown too many nights alone, taken care of his wings solo too many times, and had nobody to bond with in terms of being avian like until you came long

He yearned to not be the only one like himself which he knew that he wasn't, considering just how many people with quirks are out there on a global scale

But damn if he couldn’t help but feel like he truly was the only one like him, which in a world were quirks are in abundance, must mean that the loneliness was just that heavy enough to weigh on him like that

From time to time he expresses that feeling to you but only in passing or in minor ways

He tries his best not to show it with his actions and reactions and how excited he’ll get about doing anything that involves your wings

Hawks doesn’t expect you to take it too seriously, to really read into that much, and especially not to take it to heart

However when one day you bring it up before going to bed, that you do in fact think seriously about what he’s said, and that you’ve not only thought about it deeply in your spare time, but can even personally relate to it

This man is high key dumbfounded and for a rare moment, at a loss for words

There’s no quirky, laid back comment to make about that one, he instead genuinely and deeply processes what you’ve confessed to him in that very moment

Hawks moved one of his wings forward and then proceeded to arch it outwards slightly so that the very tip of his wing stuck out a bit. Selecting a feather near the end of the row, he softly pulled on it, plucking it from its place.

You watched intently, wondering just what your boyfriend had in mind, as he took a moment to examine the feather that he just pulled.

“Here. Have it. Little souvenir for the road.”

While the bird-like man extended his feather towards you, you could tell from the tone of his voice that he was more serious than he was letting on. Usually his voice had an aloofness to it. It was often detached and unconcerned. Mostly slow with words, dragging them out a bit at end of each of his sentences but this time it had sincerity, a bit of hardness, but also concern etched into it.

You huffed with laughter slightly as you took the wing from his hand. The back of the red winged Pro Heroes hand being soft, warm, and inviting as per usual. However just as quickly as you took the singular feather from Hawks, you placed it down onto the plush bed sheets that crinkled under the weight of your elbow propping you up.

You moved one of your own wings forward, braced yourself, and then winced from the sharp pain of you snatching a single feather from its secure and comfortable shaft. You wiped off a bead of blood that stuck to it and then held it out for Hawks to take.

“I outright refuse to be the only one in this relationship with a new key chain bauble, Keigo.”

You earned a couple of laughs from Takami, which you always aimed to do whenever you were in his presence. He carefully took the feather from your hand, making sure to caress it lightly before doing so. He placed it on his side of the bed, right next to his own that he just gave to you, and let out a brief sigh of relief.

“Just wanted to be able to know where you are at all times, yanno? Or at least have something to remind you of me whenever we’re apart. Not that you could ever forget a face as handsome as mine of course, but the thought is what counts right?”

You rolled your eyes playfully, this man. But you knew very well that under the facade of jokes and banter, there was an individual who yearned to not be alone and to have a long term and committed relationship. Someone who couldn’t bare the thought of losing you in any capacity.

He distanced, defended, and protected himself with humor due to his occupation, and you didn’t seek to change that about him, only to walk pathways that lessened that hurt inside of him.

“Wouldn’t have it any way Keigo. You know that.”

Hawks smiled softly while bringing you closer to his chest, the two feathers staying exactly where they were. Right in between the two people who were now bonded even more so through the very features that were at the core of their quirks, lives, and love.

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marinerainbow · 1 year

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Tagging: @slashingdisneypasta

Nobody asked, I just felt like posting this.

WFRR Characters as humans

Please note, I am not great at physical descriptions. This would be so much easier if I could draw xD I'm trying to be as descriptive as I can without dragging on too long. I hope I'm successful.

Roger Rogers (Roger Rabbit)

Yes, he has and will joke about his last name. He stands at about 5'1, and was born 1921 (26 years old in the events of the film), and is a lanky man with the flexibility of a wacky inflatable tube man. Roger still sticks to more loose, casual clothes similar to his toon counterpart. His nose is round and a little red, looking almost like a button ^^ though he is white (not overly pale. Might even have a slight tan. I'm not too sure). And yes, he still has his buck tooth, along with a head of fluffy orange hair. And I'm giving him freckles.

Jessica Rogers (Jessica Rabbit)

Honestly, Jessica looks pretty much the same as her toon self. With more realistic proportions, of course. She is 6'1 and was born in 1917 (30 years old). And above all, she still adores her short king, and feels loved by him everyday ^^

(I feel bad for not giving Jessica so much of a description, but she's the only adult humanoid looking toon, and I can't imagine her looking any other way as a human)

Herman 'Babyface' Douglas (Baby Herman)

A short, pudgy man. His exact height is 4'11, and was born 1897 (50 years old). Though he'll claim he's younger than he is. His skin care routine does help him look younger though, hence his nickname (don't expect him to tell you his secrets though), and how he can get roles usually reserved for younger actors. His hair is a bright strawberry blonde, but thinning, so he tries to style it in ways that make it look fuller. His eyes are still a bright blue. Herman prefers dressing in more expensive suits and coats (bro literally had a thick fur coat in one short), to show off his wealth and trying to make himself look better than everyone else.

Benjamin 'Benny' Brown (Benny the Cab)

(His initials are BBB like the now bankrupt store-)

I actually imagine Benny as an African American. He is 5'10 and was born in 1891 (56 years old. He said he was a cab for 37 years in the film, so that would mean he would've started, at most, when he was 19 in the human AU). He has short, kind of choppy black hair and dark brown eyes. He also has a scruffy goatee. Benny possesses a more muscular build, though it's mostly hidden by his jacket, so he just looks like a generally big guy (yes, he does perform his own maintenance on his car).

Anderson 'Andy' Winston (Smartass Weasel)

(If this guy was in the modern era, he'd get so sick of all the Toy Story jokes)

Standing at exactly 5'0, this New Yorker was born in 1912 (35 in the events of the film). He has a skinny frame, though broad shoulders, and is fairly strong for his size (he literally punched Eddie so hard he twisted around and doubled over the bar counter. Smarty has to have some strength, right??). He has olive skin, chestnut brown eyes, and actually has a bit of red in his hair. It's not too noticeable unless you're really looking, so he's not a red head like Jessica is. Also has a tooth gap! He cant grow facial hair though, even though he wants to (he wants a nice mustache. But can't grow one)

Miguel Rodriguez (Greasy Weasel)

His height is 5'9, and he was born 1909 (38 years old). He's got skinny arms and hands, which only makes his wandering hands feel just a bit more creepy on your skin (look at his hand/arm when he rolls his sleeve up! Not to mention how his sleeves hang off of him. Somebody put meat on those arms), though he's got a more curvy body with a bit of a belly too. I also imagine he's got a darker skin tone, and can grow scruffy facial hair if he forgets to shave. And he applies hair oil partially because his black hair is actually really curly (the tips curl up despite the hair oil? That's got to be some serious curl strength there). His eyes are a really dark brown, almost black, but in the light you can see the color.

Francis Green (Wheezy Weasel)

Yes, his last name is meant to be ironic. His height is 6'2, and he was born right at 1900 (47 years old). Kind of skinny, but you can see the sinewy muscle as well, hinting to his own strength. He looks pretty sickly, and has blemishes all over his body (he was a picker before becoming a smoker). His eyes are a slate blue, and he has ash blonde hair. Unlike Greasy, he rarely shaves, so he's got a rough, scratchy beard too, and yellow teeth from his smoking habit. I also see him having a more crooked nose shape.

(Honestly just imagine Bill Moseley and you'd get what I imagine human Wheezy would look like).

Charlie Renfield (Psycho Weasel)

(his last name may or may not be a reference to a certain Dracula character)

Psycho here is 5'3, and was born 1919 (28 years old). He has a skinny, angular build. No curves to be seen. Similar to Wheezy, he's got a sickly pale skin tone, and has scars and blemishes along his body from being careless and actively picking and scratching at himself. His most prominent scars are two on the corners of his lips from the times he's carried his razor in his mouth (he actually did do that in the movie. He's so lucky he's a toon). He's got a big head of fluffy, dark brown hair. Not curly necessarily, just... Poof. Also, he has split heterochromia; his right eye is blue, and his left eye is yellow (I know partial heterochromia would be more accurate to his swirly eyes, but I like the complete split more).

Thomas 'Tommy' Winston (Stupid Weasel)

This big lug is 6'4, and was born 1922 (25 years old). He is pretty chubby and has a round face, though don't let the plushness deceive you; that isn't just fat that makes him huge. He's got pretty big hands, especially (even as a weasel, he had huge hands! You guys saw his hand when he flipped the switch to the DIP machine too, right?). He also has olive skin, though it's more tanned as well, and he has freckles ^^ also has a deeper red hair color than Andy does, and it is more wavy than his too. I'm debating on whether or not he'd have brown or green eyes (everyone else has brown, blue, or yellow eyes. Green would complete the set). His buck tooth is still here, though smaller because human teeth.

Bonus! Sophie O'Brian (Poppy O'Hare)

(Yes, my OC. Technically I already made a post for Poppy, but I didn't really like how I wrote it. So this is take two. Hopefully I feel better with this one 😅)

Pops is the shortest of all, standing at 4'10. And was born 1920 (27 years old). She has pale, porcelain skin- though has developed some worry lines along her eyes- and big, bright brown eyes. I'm still having trouble deciding whether or not she has glasses, even for her toon self. But for her human self, I'm gonna say she only needs glasses when reading; any other time, you won't see her with a pair. She has a thinner, but still feminine build that she prefers to keep hidden under her clothes. Her hair is wavy and black, and reaches just under her chin.

(Hm... Honestly, when thinking of actors for human Poppy to look like, I keep thinking of Anya Taylor Joy. I'm not too sure about it though).

I hope you guys liked reading this ^^

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blubushie · 6 days

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Based on the answers you've been giving about male friendship, I'm curious: how would you define masculinity? Your own, in society or interacting with other people, any way you want to take this question.

I've been out and living as a trans man for 4 years now (since getting into college) but haven't really started to feel like a man since I started taking T (almost 7 months). I still....struggle with a lot of things around my own identity, and how I am supposed to interact with people. So I would be interested to know how you navigate masculinity

Honestly I've never actually given much thought to masculinity aside from "the act of being male". What that act is, I have no fucken clue.

I'm very masculine. But that's just my nature—it's not performative. So it's hard for me to draw lines of what exactly masculinity IS because for me, it's just the act of being me. I like doing certain things that societally are considered masculine. In my experience most of masculinity is just societal perception and socialisation. I like cars, and cooking especially when it's meat, and I eat a lot of meat, and I like hunting, and firearms, and fishing. I like history, and video games. None of these things are ACTUALLY masculine, but society considers them to be. So by society's standards, they're masculine. And so I just reckon I like being masculine.

I've always approached masculinity as something that men just inherently are, and the definition varies from man to man. For me, it's self-sufficiency, and loyalty to family, and dedication to my craft. I drive an old truck because if she breaks down I can fix her easily. My rifle is a bolt-action because operation and maintenance is simple. I make my own food, I hunt my own meat, I'd endanger my own life to protect the rare few I call my friends and have done so. I try to raise my child right, so that he grows up without a sense of judgement and with patience and respect for the people around him.

So in general I'm very in line with what people/society consider to be "traditional" masculinity. Hunting, fishing, cars, I like alcohol on a Friday night, and I do rodeo, and I shoot, and I dress in flannel and jeans and dingo boots.

But masculinity doesn't have to be traditional. Every man has his own idea of what masculinity is. You've just gotta find yours and what you're comfortable with. The first step is just being you. If you want tips on how to act "more of a man", the truth is you already are one. If you're inclined you can go a step further and get involved in male spaces that are likely to have an absence of women (we behave better with the ladies around so if girls are present you're gonna struggle a bit with proper socialisation). Get into a shooting or archery club, or a boating club, or hunting or fishing, or something like that. Or a men's club. Anything with a large number of men and a low number of women. Then just sit back and observe how they interact with each other. Eventually you can insert yourself into their conversations when you see openings and work on the socialisation skills. Expect some ribbing but if they get too aggro/cruel just move onto a different group.

Bonus round: Find a respected old man and ask him to teach you how to be a man. He'll learn you all about chivalry and male manners and behavioural expectations and shit like that. If you don't want to disclose your trans status, just say you had a bad relationship with your father or that your dad was never around to teach you how to be a good man. He'll fold and take you under his wing.

#blu whos

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charlesandmartine · 2 months

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Wednesday 17th April 2024

When dawn broke one could see the lights of Mossel Bay across the water, but as the sun came up, the mist started to come down. I guess that's just the way it is there. We had a quick breakfast, loaded the stuff into the VW, bade our farewells to this strange property, the sea front and the parrots and hit the road; this time the N2 bound for George. In all we expected roughly 3 hours elapsed time of motoring, but we intended to call in at Knysna; a town everyone seems to know and tell us we need to go to, but a place no-one seems to be sure about what's there. Anyway, we headed to the Waterfront which seemed a good starting point and were soon fixed up with an extremely palatable coffee and chocolate croissant. Most acceptable I'd say.

This part of the coast is firmly into the Garden Route, and our journey onwards East confirmed that the scenery is absolutely fabulous. Green, lush vegetation, tree clad mountains and picturesque lakes. Through Wilderness and on to Pine Lake which lay so still, not a ripple, it was just content to sit there all day reflecting the mountain behind. Soon we were passing the sign which declared we were now officially in the Eastern Cape.

We lunched in Plettenberg Bay, a comly little place designed very much for holiday makers. We fitted right in there and found a seat overlooking the beach which was full of happy families with designated tasks of building sandcastles. We left the VW in the good care of a carpark attendant, and in the age old tradition, by passing silver from one palm to the other, no harm would come to the car.

Life guards were nervously watching the bay and the swimmers. At one point everyone was called out of the water. Great Whites have been spotted recently and are, we are told, more likely April onwards. Hmm. Didn't see one but I'm sure he saw us!

Now we asked Mr Avis, taxi drivers all sorts, are there any toll roads in South Africa/ Garden Route? Oh no they all said. We don't have tolls. Well as soon as we plotted our route on Google to Jeffrey's Bay there it was, toll road. Don't you just know it. Anyway, we have plenty of spare change and this route saved us an hour, so we set off. Through forest, hill and dale we drove on an empty road, empty because you have to pay I guess. Anyway, we pulled into the booth, produced our R200 note and the girl said, oh, you don't have to pay. No explanation that we could understand, but we were free to go!

This is an interesting country. Clearly when a job needs doing, a white man calls for a black man. Mornings and evenings we see pickup trucks going back and forth picking up and dropping off teams of men and taking them to where the work is; often lawn maintenance, general building and in volume, road maintenance. They crowd into the backs of these vehicles often from pickup points along the roads. Archaic maybe but it seems to work. In its defence there seems a distinct attempt to create jobs even if it is so menial and perhaps unnecessary. For instance, people manually sweeping sand off a path by the beach or standing waving or holding limply a red flag near to roadworks. The sad thing is that they often seem to come out of the shanty towns on the outskirts of rather affluent white towns. We cannot judge as it's not our culture, but it is a little disconcerting.

We passed one such shanty town made up of rows and rows of tiny corrugated iron boxes, and I'm ashamed to say, were relieved when we crossed a river and into an area called Paradise Beach where we are lodged in a luxurious little house on stilts for the next three days.

ps We popped out for an evening meal at a restaurant recommended by our host. It could not be closer to the sea if it tried; the floor was sand! I had an excellent tuna steak and Martine a lamb shank but cooked in an amazing South African set of spices unknown. Absolutely delicious. The whole thing with tips and alcohol was less than £29!

pps over 31°C today.

ppps there was a malicious campaign afoot on the toll road into here disparaging the rights to baboons having a square meal. Big signs, Do Not Feed the Baboons. Fine for doing so, R500. Well we didn't see a single baboon along the 60k section hungry or otherwise.

#Jeffrey's Bay #Knysna

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heightscarcare · 2 years

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Get your Vehicle Inspected Properly at Car Maintenance Shop- Heights Car Care Shop. Visit us at 1320 Main Street #1, Billings, MT 59105. Call 406-259-4740.

#car maintenance billings mt #vehicle maintenance billings mt #car maintenance shop near me #what does car maintenance include #what regular maintenance should be done on a car #importance of vehicle maintenance #General car maintenance tips #why is car maintenance so expensive #why vehicle maintenance is important

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jessica-nichols · 2 months

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CHARACTER DETAILS

Name: Jessica Nichols

Age: 33

Gender & Pronouns: Demi-girl, she/they

Sexuality: Queer

Occupation: Airplane mechanic

Faceclaim: Katherine Barrell

CHARACTER HISTORY

trigger warnings: none

Jessie grew up just outside Waverly, Nebraska, which was very much a small town. Her mother was a hair dresser and her father was an accountant. Jessie became an older sister at the age of four, which she was ecstatic about, and she absolutely adored her little sister, always helping her mom out with taking care of the baby whenever she could.

With red hair and a scattering of freckles, Jessie was sort of an outcast at school, despite her generous and friendly demeanor. But that's just how kids are; choosing the odd ones out to pick on. Regardless, Jessica tried not to let it affect her, befriending other kids on the fringes of the social groups, and being the kind-hearted person she was no matter what.

At age twelve, just as she was starting to enter puberty and everything else that entailed, Jessie started experiencing things that weren't quite normal. It wasn't long before she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, adding 'learn to consciously be her own pancreas' to the ever-growing list of things that teenagers were going through. At that time, wearable blood sugar trackers weren't yet widely available, so it meant finger-pricking after almost every meal and being very aware of what she was eating at all times. It certainly didn't make things easier with being an odd kid out at school, but as she moved into high school, things eased up and Jessie felt like she found herself a bit more.

This included joining a local soccer team, where she found a great group of people who supported her for who she was and embraced every aspect that encompassed 'Jessie'.

It was in high school that she found her aptitude for fixing things. And while the most of the other girls were taking the textiles or other home economics classes, Jessica was getting her hands dirty in shop class. She took to it like a duck to water, and ended up getting straight A's.

At age eighteen, Jessie she applied to Kansas State University to do mechanics, before choosing to specialise in aviation. It was an odd choice, but she found it super interesting and less routine than working on cars.

It was during her university years that Jessica began to explore her queerness. She'd always known about it, but being so focused on school and things, dating wasn't something she'd really been all that interested in. And dating in college was also much easier than trying to date in high school, lacking the rumor mill and gossip and cliques. She was free to be herself and not worry about being judged. At least not by anyone who mattered.

Graduating from university, Jessica took a job on the east coast, using her new degree to get a job at a small airport doing plane maintenance. Having always lived in the midwest, she wanted to see more of the country, and North Carolina provided a nice change of scenery for her. It was cool to live so close to the ocean, and Jessie would often drive to the beach on the weekends.

She spent nearly three years there, before moving to Jackson, Tennessee and then to Alexandria, Louisiana. In Alexandria, Jessie moved to working on larger passenger planes at the Alexandria International Airport. And while it provided a new challenge that she enjoyed for several years, the redhead decided that working in such a busy and impersonal environment just wasn't for her. At age twenty-nine, she packed up once again and found herself in Marshall Island. Set in such a scenic environment, plenty of people have their own small personal planes, which Jessie keeps in tip-top shape, as well as working on a few planes which are used for aerial tours of the area.

It was here that she decided to finally get her own pilots' license. The plane owners she worked for often asked her why she hadn't thought about pursuing it before, and Jessica never had a good answer. It wasn't as if she was afraid of heights or anything, so she finally started working towards getting it.

Jessica is an outgoing and confident person, who will inwardly judge idiots and call out anyone acting overly entitled in public. She's easy to befriend, and is overly affectionate with the people she considers friends.

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missbaphomet · 1 year

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Tips from working in a car factory:

Don't:

Buy some models of Kias or Hyundais model years 2011-2021, easy to steal due to cost cutting measures and the fix is like $700. Not listing the models here, do your research

Buy Jeeps, well known for electrical issues in more modern models

Buy Teslas, panel gaps and alignment issues, various parts issues, general poor quality bodies and builds, may explode, may go rogue and mow down a pedestrian (#justteslathings)

Buy 2016 GMC Acadias, power steering is known to leak and the recommended fix may involve replacing the engine bay wiring altogether ($$$) and may also fuck up the O2 sensor (poor engine performance among other issues), can cause fires when oil gets where it shouldn't

Do:

Be aware of Lemon Laws

Keep on top of recommended maintenance (Change oil after 5k-7.5k miles OR by the date printed on the sticker on your windshield, get a tire rotation every 5k miles, etc)

Keep your owner's manual (and actually use it)

Research common issues with make and model BEFORE purchase

Keep up to date on recalls for your car. It's easy to think it's not an issue until it is.

Google what your car's jack points are if you need to jack the car such as you would need to when you change a tire

Will update over time

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i-try-to-write-stuff · 2 years

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Entrapment - 4 (Innocuous)

Please do not read this fic if this is not your cup of tea. You have been warned, by clicking on Keep Reading means you have understood the warning. I am not responsible for your content consumption.

Meet me at my place at 6, it's important. Your message flashed on Tommy Shelby’s phone while he was in a family meeting. He was giddy with joy for the first time in a very long time. Polly noticed Tommy’s smirk.

“Thomas, you look happy, care to share with the family”, Polly interrupted John’s rant.

“Nothing. I am just happy that there are no more issues to deal with today.”

The whole family knew that Tommy was hiding something but kept mum. They were used to Tommy playing cards close to his chest and would be informed when he saw fit.

“If that’s all, Poll, let’s conclude this meeting here,” Tommy asked.

“Anyone else has anything to add to the agenda?” Arthur asked, and the room stayed silent.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow at the ball”, Tommy added while putting on his trench coat.

Tommy got in his car and drove off to his destination, your quaint little apartment. He parked in the basement, tipping the security guard generously for helping you out with the maintenance issues.

He rang the bell, and your voice came from inside, telling him the door was open. You were so bloody careless. What if it was some armed mugger, a rapist, or a murderer? You had zero self-preservation.

He let himself inside, removing his shoes because your house was a shoe-free zone. He found you sitting on the couch, staring at the wall blankly, while the centre table had some pamphlets lying.

“Y/N, darling, what happened?”

“Huh?”

“You texted me and asked me to come over.”

“Oh, yeah, I did, Thomas. Sit down.” You hoarsely said.

He came and sat near you. You turned to face him, wanting to tell him, but your throat closed. Taking a deep breath, you looked into his cornflower blue eyes, fuck, the baby would be half him and half you… It would be a cute kid. Was abortion a mistake? No, it can’t be. A child should be brought into this world when you’re ready, right? You had let your thoughts run amok. Your hands were shaking, and this was one of the significant decisions of your life, a life that you created.

Thomas saw your hands shaking and placed his hand over them, giving you time to blurt out what he already knew.

“I am pregnant, and I don’t know how that happened. I know we used condoms, but they are only 98 per cent effective,” you babbled incoherently.

“I just wanted you to know. I am not planning on keeping it.”

Thomas Shelby’s eyes got colder, his icy demeanor resurfacing, and his head turned towards the fliers splattered across the table. Some were related to abortion, and some were to pregnancy care. He turned towards you, observing you. You were fighting a battle within, and you were lost.

“Do I get a say in this?”

You nodded, wanting to hear his part before taking a significant step. Thomas was, after all, the father of this baby.

“I am thrilled about this baby, and I don’t want you to get rid of it.” He said while touching your stomach to persuade you.

“Thomas… Babies are much work; don’t you think babies deserve to be brought into a committed, well-established relationship.” You present your case, not backing down from the decision.

“I agree, a child should be brought in a committed relationship, they should have a loving upbringing, and I am willing to work on it. I want us to have this child, a child who is half me and half you, a perfect blend.

“What we have is barely a relationship.”

“I know, eh, but I will rectify that, I will work on it, I promise, I promise to take care of diaper duties.”

You chuckled, imagining big, scary Thomas changing a diaper.

“Thomas, we barely know each other. I don’t even know anything about you.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything?”

“How about I take you on a date tomorrow? Give me one chance to prove my worth, and if you’re not okay with what I have to offer, you can...”

You nodded. It seemed like a logical condition to you.

You were yet to discover the limits Thomas Shelby was to go to have you. You were his, you would soon find out, but by then, it would be too late to run away.

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