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Zachary Carpenter​

Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod.

Jenny was hugging him. At first, he stood there, unable to breathe let alone move his arms. But as reality sunk in, he was able to reach his arms up and around her middle and hug her back. How tight was he supposed to hug? Too weak and he came off rude, too tight and he comes off as a creep? Was there a perfect middle. His books never taught him this. Oh god, why didn't they go over these details.

"It's not too bad" Zach said in response to Jenny's outburst that he must be freezing. Yes, he was cold. His nose feeling that slightly runny way it does when your exposed to cold air for too long. But, he would live. The warm air that floated in from the open doorway was inviting though, and Zach wasn't disappointed when Jenny led him inside.

Now getting a proper look at her outfit, Zach swallowed hard. She was dressed in a Christmas ensemble that he would have considered tacky on anyone else, but Jenny made it look radiant. (Or maybe that was just teenage hormones). He opened his mouth to tell her so, but was quickly stopped by the arrival of her parents.

FUCK. He didn't know her parent's were going to be here. Of course they would, it was her house. And during Christmas, most normal families stayed together. Although Zach had to wonder why Jenny had invited him, and some others over, if that was the case.

"Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy." Zach politely nodded his head at her parents. He felt like a courting gentleman in a regency era novel. All that was missing was the coat tails and itchy crevat. Only, he wasn't as charming, handsome, and smooth as they were. Looking at her parents, Zach could see where Jenny got some of her features from. It was as if she was a perfect blend of the couple

"I'm from a suburb in Colorado. We moved here back in the fall after my parent's divorce." Zach answered in response to Mr. Kennedy's questions. Her father had an Irish accent, which really surprised Zach. It was really cool though, you didn't meet people with that kind of accent in America as often. "I'm enjoying Joplin so far. Making friends with Jenny has really helped me settle in." Jenny's mom then fawned over him. Quite literally. Calling him handsome and throwing winks at her daughter has she did so. Zach felt himself involuntarily flush at her words. One, because to be fussed over by your crushes mom in front of your crush was embarrassing. But also, because Zach didn't get compliments like this often. Yes, his mother loved him. She just showed her affection differently, and compliments wasn't it. Not to mention, he and Cassidy looked so much like their father, Zach couldn't help but wonder if looking at them made their mom ache with loss.

"T-Thank you..." Zach was able to choke out amid all the words being thrown around. And, although Zach wasn't used to all this attention, he couldn't deny that it felt nice. Everything about the Kennedy's seemed nice. Their house, their daughter, their general vibes... They were...warm. It was something Zach didn't know he was missing until he had it in front of him. As they proffered food and drinks, Zach felt like a cat stretching out and basking in the suns rays. Soaking up everything he could while it lasted.

Zach had just shoved a small appetizer in his mouth (Oh my god it was delicious) when Jenny led him to the den. Jenny handed him a small bundle, and Zach felt his stomach sour. He hand't gotten her anything in return. He hand't thought to. Shit.

"I-I didn't get you anything. I'm so sorry." He felt horrible. Jenny was so kind, and although he felt horrible that he had not gotten her a gift, his heart couldn't help but pound faster at the prospect she had gotten him something. Zach noticed her face was flushed too. Wait...did she...return his feelings? Zach pushed the thought out of his head. How could someone amazing like her, fall for someone like him? No, she was probably too hot (she was very hot). Zach opened up the gift, and looked at the books. He smiled, his eyes feeling ever so misty.

"Thank you. I admit, I'm not familiar with Carver-" He flipped the book over to see if there was a summary or blurb on the back for him to get a feel for the contents. "-but I'm excited to read it. I trust your taste." Behind the short stories was a copy of Withering Heights. "I've been meaning to read this!" Zach said, probably a bit to loudly. It was a classic, and yet he hadn't had the chance to secure a copy of it. Whenever he went to the library it was checked out, or the pages were stained with cat piss. "Thank you!" Taking a risk, he wrapped his arms around Jenny, giving her a quick and hopefully proper hug, before releasing her.

"I'm going to make it up to you, I promise."
Location: Jenny's House
Interactions: Jenny Qwertycakes Qwertycakes​
 
MOOD: Numb

OUTFIT: missed the fancy memo

LOCATION: Jenelle's House
basics
MENTIONS:
Chimney Swift Chimney Swift

INT:
thorspuddingcup thorspuddingcup
Qwertycakes Qwertycakes
tags
TL;DR t
tl;dr
leah
Praying to God that someday you'll be mine

Leah stared absently out of the car window as her father and Veta drove through the streets of Joplin in search of the Foxglove suburbs. Ordinarily it would've been a 4 minute walk from her house to Jenelle's however, due to her father's insistence on bringing his controversially young girlfriend to the party, the daddy-daughter duo were forced to park outside The Playpen while Veta finished conducting some last-minute Christmas business. If you asked Jed, Leah would bet anything that he would claim Leah was involved in some last minute administrative work but Leah wasn't buying it. It was essentially an open secret that most everyone involved in Peaches and the Playpen was linked to the mafia in some way or another. Hell, her own boyfriend was basically Kaz Milyukov's bitch(he direct translation in Russian was Shestyorka, but calling him Kaz's bitch had a certain je ne sais quoi about it). Given that fact, she knew a thing or two about the circles Veta was running in, and her having a last minute emergency meeting in the Playpen on Christmas? Shady.

Then again, she had to assume her Dad was lying for her sake, and not expressing genuine belief, since he wasn't a dumbass. So she accepted the PR statement, and lay on her back to daydream while waiting for Veta. Sure enough, Jed's young girlfriend entered the car a few minutes earlier, apologizing profusely for the delay. And with that, they made the drive back to Foxglove, with Leah sitting upwards and stacking the pile of presents she'd spent last night wrapping into a neat pile. Typically Leah would only have two prepared for the party, however this year was different. This year, she actually had a boyfriend to invite to the party. And as such, she felt an obligation to give him a gift he'd love, a task that grew even more difficult year to year. If she was being incredibly hyperbolic, DJ didn't particularly like anything. Except weapons and books about not particularly liking anything. As one could imagine, the amount of potential gifts that sprung from that interest grew smaller and smaller every year. Nevertheless, Leah hugged her selected gift close to her chest for good luck, and stacked it atop the gifts for Max and Jenelle, praying her friends would like theirs too.

Realistically however, she knew she didn't have to worry about them the way she had to worry about DJ reacting negatively to her gift. Max was such a people pleaser that she doubted he could even comprehend not liking a gift given for him and would proceed to gaslight himself into loving it, and having known Jenelle since they were babies, and talking to the girl about her passions on a regular basis, Leah was incredibly confident that she would be able to give her something she adored. More than nerves, she was eagerly anticipating seeing Jenelle's reaction to the fashion sketchbook and attached set of colored pencils/watercolors that she'd prepared for her. She knew her best friend adored styling her own outfits, to incredible degrees of success, and figured that should Jenelle ever be struck with outfit inspiration, she would be able to develop her creative vision ASAP.

And Max got a cactus, as he did every year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As Jed pulled up into the garage of their own Foxglove abode, Leah quickly grabbed the gifts and began her sprint to the Kennedy household. She was confident her Dad and Veta would quickly follow, however due to her delay and eagerness to see her bestie/boyfriend, she couldn't wait up for them. She hurried through the unlocked door, greeting Ralph and Maritza with a hug and wide smile. "Merry Christmas! I honestly can't thank you guys enough for hosting us every year." She flashed a perfectly angelic smile, that same smile that had convinced them that she was a trustworthy influence who was certainly not taking their precious daughter to cave raves. After some perfunctory small talk, she cleared her throat. "Where's Jenelle? I don't think I see her." She questioned the couple. After they explained that she was probably somewhere around the den area, she nodded, before bounding down the halls like a mad man.

"JEN!!!!" She squealed excitedly as she entered the den, setting the gifts down on the floor before glomping her friend into a tackle hug. She took a step back, wide-eyed as she registered Jen's getup. " Jen, you're insane. In like the best way possible." She finally blurted out, before plopping down on the couch and gesturing for her friend to join her. "You're going to have to walk me through how you pulled this together, because it's incredible." Upon registering that Zach was also in the room, she offered him a polite smile and reached over to pat the seat on the other side of Jenelle. "Oh hey, Zach! You love it too, right?" She questioned, attempting to make conversation with the quiet kid.
code by valen t.
 
Last edited:
Mackenzie Gallagher
Lil bit dramatic
Old abandoned factory
doedeer doedeer - Drew / purplecowdutch purplecowdutch - Mateo
Click Me
The sound of the door creaking loudly filled the awkwardly silent room and Kenzie's head turned in the direction of the sound, eyes wide in shock and confusion but she quickly hid it behind her non-telling smirk.

Whilst she had invited them all to the abandoned factory she honestly hadn't expected them to show up at the same time, or even at all. DJ had already confirmed that he couldn't come due to premade plans but right now she wished he would walk through them doors. The last time she had been in a room with Drew and Mateo was not good and the tension was so dense it was almost as though you could see it filling the room, suffocating them in hatred and betrayal. Her ex boyfriend and the guy she cheated with ... someone up there clearly hates her.

The undeniable anger took over her being once again as soon as Mateo spoke, the word "precious time" causing her blood to boil as she tightened her fists by her side, clenching and unclenching as she stared at him with an eyebrow raised and a less than impressed expression on her face.

Well she did want the anger back and now here it was handed back to her gift wrapped in a pretty box. What poor Mateo didn't understand is that he had just handed Kenzie a ticking bomb, a bomb about to go off and destroy all of them in that room, including himself.. but isn't that what arrogance is, a ticking bomb waiting to backfire.

Taking a deep breath Kenzie looked between the two, the smirk still present on her face as she spoke slowly as though carefully choosing her words "Im sorry for taking your precious time but..." the smirk fell from her lips, a frightened look flashed through her expression for a moment before she composed herself once more.

Too late to back out now

"Im pregnant" the announcement like ripping of a bandaid was quick, short and without warning. Kenzie kept her eyes trained on the ground in front of her as though she was admiring her shoes, afraid to look up and see their expressions, the same horror, shock and heartbreak she had experienced when she had been told.

 






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Today



New Years Eve

Ready to leave this year behind






Notes

New Years Eve
Remember to pick up ice for beer

Fireworks
Put the dogs inside so the fireworks don't freak them







31st December 2013

Leave the door open; it’s time to let out 2013, and invite the new one in!

Residents of Joplin are already celebrating the beginning of the New Year. With half an hour to go until the countdown, people are participating and expressing their rejoicing for a new year in various ways. Some have gone down to the pier in anticipation of the grand firework display. Others are sitting around the television, waiting to watch the descent of a 700-pound orb in Times Square.

Come the end of the countdown, the people of Joplin will be cheering as they sing along to Auld Lang Syne, raising their champagne glasses to a bright new year, creating resolution lists, and hunting down that special someone to have their midnight kiss. For some, this is a time for celebration and championing everything they have accomplished this year. For others, it may be a painful reminder of everything they may have lost or failed to accomplish.

Whether you’ve dressed up in your best black and white suit and dawning a ball dress at an eloquent party, or simply lounging around in your pajamas and eating fried chicken, the city of Joplin wishes everyone a happy, peaceful, healthy and exciting New Year!





Joplin News
"Goodbye 2013,
Hello 2014!"

Everyone here at the Joplin News, we would like to extend our thanks to all our readers for making this year so special!






Joplin

49°



Overcast
56 / 44° F




Breaking news


Man armed with cardboard gun steals $14 in coins
Police reported that a fifty-eight year-old male, armed with a ... (read more)





marfgin:
NEW YEARS CELEBRATIONS!
Don't miss the fireworks at the Waterfront this year!



/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 







joshua jones



  • .



The unfamiliar sounds of the beeping machines and staff members rustling around in a frenzy to create the many meals. The smells of grease as it frizzled and grilled the french fries in the fryer. Sights of many people, despite it being almost half an hour until the countdown, packed throughout the restaurant awaiting their meals. Some of them were inebriated, having spent their last few hours downing some alcoholic beverages with family and friends. Some of them were children as young as three, waiting patiently for their happy meal toys and chicken nuggets. All of this was a brand new experience for Joshua, who had walked into a McDonalds for the very first time in his life.

Arms crossed in front of his chest, his dark hazel eyes travelled around the fast food restaurant, drinking in the sights, sounds and smells as if he had been desperate for his thirst to be quenched. Even with the mask upon his face, he could still smell the scent of french fries, chicken nuggets and beef burgers, tickling the back of his brain with a sense of delight, excitement, and oddly enough, fear. This would be his first time trying McDonalds, and his brain had him thinking that it would be his first time trying cocaine or something. For in the Jones household, McDonalds was sinful.

That’s right. A fast food joint was sinful.

Well, not just McDonalds. But any fast food joint in general. For his parents believed that certain foods were a sin to place into our bodies. Jehovah had created their bodies like a temple and therefore we should respect it that way too. Their household was one without sugar, and their meals consisted of nothing but healthy ingredients. Even their homemade desserts strayed from the use of sugar or other ‘nasty’ ingredients that his parents would believe could cause any sort of harm to their bodies. So, while he was down right excited to try his first McDonalds meal, he was also felt like he was standing in a pit of snakes. Anxiety flooding his gut, so much so that when it came to ordering, Joshua had asked Abby if she could pick something out for him.

You’d think that being caught eating McDonalds would be his least concern right about now, considering he was out past his curfew of eight pm, and with a girl. Well, it seemed as if Joshua Jones was getting good at this whole sinning thing. Kris Bullock, a fellow Witness who had given Joshua some rather interesting brownies at Mallory’s Halloween party, had been true to his word; If Joshua scratched his back, then he would scratch his. Mrs Jones had dropped Joshua off at Kris’s house around nine pm after her son had explained to her that Kris was having an all-boys prayer night; that they would be praying into the new year together, and then sleeping over once prayer was finished. And she believed him. I mean, of course, she would believe him. Why would her son lie to her, after all? But once she had dropped off her son at the house, Joshua was on his way to meet with Abigail at her house to bring in the New Year with her.

In their random conversations, Joshua had casually brought up that he had never had McDonald’s before. And that’s how they ended up here. Petrified that someone may notice who he was and send such information to his parents, Joshua had dressed head to toe in black. Black jeans, black shirt, a black hoodie jumper with the hood hanging over his head, and a black beanie. And to top it all off, he wore a black mask to conceal the lower half of his face. If people were able to figure out who he was even with all of this covering him up, then he would have to give them some wild detective points.

“Number 332” a rang called out from behind the counter, holding up a bag of food in the air. Joshua’s ears twitched upon hearing the number, certain that it had been theirs that had been printed upon the receipt that Abigail held in her hands. Leaning over slightly, he pointed respectfully towards the McDonalds worker that held up their bag of food. “Is that us?” he asked Abigial, his voice slightly muffled by the mask being used to hide his identity.







/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.
 







abigail hargreaves



  • .



The two stood in line, waiting patiently for their turn to order, Josh seemed to have been studying the menu since the pair had arrived at the establishment. As they moved closer, Abigail looked over at the boy, once again taking in his appearance, it appeared as though he was hiding from someone, but who was another question, more than likely it was people from his church, but she didn't think he would go as far as wearing a mask to conceal his face.

As they conversed on what to order, Josh had requested that Abigail order for him, considering this was his first time in a place like this, she obliged with his request. Stepping forward, they were finally in front of the cashier, they greeted the two and asked what they wanted to order, "Can I get a filet o fish meal, a 10-piece McNugget meal, and one cheeseburger, please?" She knew that the drink and fries would not be a problem for her date friend, but she wasn't sure about the sandwich, so the cheeseburger was backup just in case.

After paying, the two stepped off to the side with their cups, she led them to the soda fountains so they could fill up said cups while they wait for their order to be called. Abigail proceeded to fill both their cups with coca-cola, not questioning what the boy would want because she knew he would request water, and who in their right mind would get water at a fast food restaurant?

"Order 332!" A voice from behind the counter calls out and the sound of a paper bag can be heard being sat down on the counter, another voice chimes up next to Abby, "Is that us?" The muffled voice was almost like an auditory nudge to the girl, the receipt that was previously crumpled into her pocket had been retrieved, being scanned with careful eyes. At the top in bold numbers printed out was 332, confirming that this was indeed their order.

With a nod, Abigail grabs the bag, holding her drink in her other hand, and began to guide the two to a table to sit, there was only about an hour before the clock struck midnight, so they had plenty of time to sit and talk without any rush to get to the pier. Once seated, she began placing the food out, "Honestly, I'm not sure if you will like this fish sandwich or not, so you have a cheeseburger too if you'd want it instead." Having to order for someone else without knowing much about their food preferences was difficult, so there was no way she wouldn't at least try to accommodate for his dislike towards the meal she chose for him.

While starting to eat her own food, she kept checking on Josh and his reaction to what had been placed in front of him, honestly, it wouldn't hurt her feelings if he didn't like it, but she also wanted his first experience to be enjoyable. "What are your first impressions so far? On McDonald's?" You would've thought this was the first time the two were hanging out based on the awkward starter conversation, but Abigail was genuinely concerned whether or not Josh was enjoying himself.


 







joshua jones



  • .



Light brown yearning eyes travelled among those who were dining, a deep weight of desire harbouring in the pits of his stomach as he took a seat to where the other had guided them. Wide grins, faces lighting up, and a sense of uncontainable happiness poured from these people as they waited for their food or sat in booths together enjoying their meals. The teenagers gathered in their packs and herds, creating picturesque memories as they waited in anticipation for their delicious cheeseburgers or shared their fries with other. Young people standing close to each other as physically possible, their fingers entwined in a tango and their eyes lighting up with delight. One young man playfully annoyed a girl by wrapping his arms around her shoulders and dragging her in his embrace. She squealed in delight, the joy on her face radiating and dripping like pure honey. And then, with his devilish grin, he leant down and placed a kiss upon her own.

The pure essence of requited, young love. He had once desired to feel its warmth, watching others from afar with admiration. But having embraced the burning passion of the said love, no one had prepared him for the coldness that came afterwards. Despite seeing Abby almost every single day since it happened, it was never mentioned. It felt like he had been left on read, and the receiver of the message just didn’t feel the energy or mental capacity to respond. It wasn’t Abby’s fault at all. She didn’t have to bring it up. But gazing around the room, seeing all the loving, dotting couples, a deadly sin sat in the pit of his stomach that he just struggled to shake off: Jealousy.

“Honestly-”

Her voice had knocked him off his train of thought, his heart missing a beat and his ears firing up to a shade of scarlet. Thank God for the beanie and jacket hood covering them up. Wide-eyed, he was a deer caught in headlights, and Abby was the fifteen-tonne truck about to knock the life out of him. Had she noticed he thought to himself, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment. But as she continued to speak, it was evident that she was focused on ensuring he was going to enjoy his meal rather than discussing if she had, in fact, seen his wandering gaze daydreaming of a love story that would never be told. After she explained, placing the food out for him to take, Joshua slowly nodded to show that he understood what she was saying. A slow, steady hand reached out towards the fish sandwich as he verbally expressed his thanks to the girl.

Curiously unwrapping the sandwich, Joshua inspected every single aspect of it without being too… obvious. He liked fish, so it wouldn’t be that much of a difference, right? As he unhooked the mask upon his face, shoving carefully into his jacket pocket, he gradually brought the sandwich up to his mouth and took his first bite. People often say that when someone tries fast food or sugar for the first time, it’s like a party in their mouth. For Joshua Jones, it was quite the opposite. He had to push back every natural instinct to scrunch his face in disgust as he ground the bite of the sandwich in his mouth with his molars. Trying to keep a stern poker face, he turned his attention towards the busy kitchen, hoping it would distract him from his… god-awful taste. The sauce was… The bun was… The fish... he just couldn’t pin point what it was. But it felt heavy and overly salty and… there was just a taste he was struggling to overcome.

But he continued to eat it. Even after the traumatic first bite, he went straight back in for another. Any sane person would’ve placed the burger down and called it a day. But in the back of Joshua’s mind, all he could recall was the words of his parents. You’ll eat it until you like it. That was the rule in their household growing up - and well, it still was now. Being raised to believe that it was sinful to waste food, and if you ate something long enough, you’d grow to like it. Not only that, but it was disrespectful to turn away the food that others bring you. In their household, his parents technically brought the food to them, so it would be highly disrespectful to say no to any of their meals. And that was the last thing he wanted to be to Abby. Disrespectful.

“What are your first impressions so far?”

Oh gosh, don’t make me say how much I hate this burger

“On McDonalds?”

Oh, thank Jehovah

“Um…” he lulled for a moment, forcefully swallowing the remainder of the fish sandwich in his mouth before speaking. “It’s…” A gaze towards the kitchen, those who were waiting and the many who sat in with their food, before looking back at Abby “Busy… and loud. I didn’t… I didn’t think restaurants were allowed to be this loud”

Then again, he hadn’t been to many restaurants.

Cautiously, he brought the sandwich up to his mouth and took another bite of … this… disgusting thing… all the while trying his absolute hardest to keep a poker face. But for whatever reason, he managed to get a big blob of… something which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight. Without hesitation, he reached over to the drink placed out for him and took a long sip with no caution to its contents. It was at this moment that his poker face broke; it was all too much. Joshua’s face scrunched at the overly sugary, sour drink, lowering it from his lips and onto the table while narrowing his eyes at it. What was that? What ever it was, it made no sense to why someone would want to even drink that in the first place.

You’ll eat it until you like it

Abby.

A deer caught in the headlights once more. Joshua’s shocked expression shattered his scrunched, disgusted face as he turned towards the girl. “I’m so sorry,” automatically spilled from his mouth “I didn’t… It was just… not what I was expecting… I didn’t mean to disrespect you”







/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.
 







abigail hargreaves



  • .



Abigail noticed that the boy sitting across from her seemed distracted, but who wouldn't be in such a loud establishment? Especially after she had learned that he had never been to one before, so it was something that she should've expected. Picking up her drink, she took a sip, while she watched Josh try out the food that she had ordered for him, there was a slight look of discomfort on his face, but she chalked it up to being uncomfortable due to their surroundings.

After taking a few bites, Josh spoke up to answer the question that he was just asked, “Busy… and loud. I didn’t… I didn’t think restaurants were allowed to be this loud." With her mouth full, Abigail nodded in agreement, the restaurant was loud, but it was something that she had grown accustomed to throughout the years. Quickly swallowing, she was able to speak up, "Yeah, I guess I didn't really think that they would be this crowded on New Year's Eve, honestly. I'm sorry about that." She gives him a sheepish grin, and picks up a chicken nugget, dipping it and then carefully placing it into her mouth.

They continued eating, but it was when Josh had picked up his drink and taken a sip that the alarm bells began to ring in Abigail's head, something was definitely off, especially with the facial expression he had given after completing this action. Before she even had the chance to bring up the change in demeanor, he began apologizing. Telling her that it wasn't what he had expected and that he didn't mean to disrespect her, causing the girl to let out a quiet giggle, placing her hand on top of his, "You didn't disrespect me at all. Between the shitty food and the loud environment, I can't blame you for being disgusted one way or another."

Pulling out her phone, Abigail quickly glances at the time, 11:30 pm, the pier was sure to have garnered a crowd at this point with only 30 minutes until the New Year, but there would definitely be room for at least two more people. "We should probably get going anyways, there's only half an hour until midnight and the pier is about 10 minutes away." Carefully gathering the garbage that had been collected on the table, she proceeds to throw it away in the nearest garbage can, giving her legs a second to stretch out before they would be sitting once again in her car.

Returning to the table, Abigail gives Josh a warm smile, "C'mon, we don't want to miss the fireworks!" Hoping that her cheerful disposition would rub off on the boy she was dragging along everywhere. She wrapped her hand around his and helped him up from his seated position, although she had put her gloves back on, she had noticed earlier Josh didn't have any on, so this was some sort of way for her to try and keep his hands warm as they walked through the freezing temperatures back to her car, definitely not an excuse to hold his hand.


 







joshua jones



  • .



Holding hands with Abigail Hargreaves was always different.

He had processed it many times before, comparing and evaluating the feelings and emotions that ran through his body every time he felt her hand upon his own. And yet every single time, he found himself back at square one and processing every single thought that scattered his mind.

As a child, he could barely remember holding the hand of his mother or father. Maybe it was an odd occurrence and used to divert him from traffic as they crossed the streets. He could distinctly remember holding the hands of his older brothers, who pulled and tugged against his little arms with great force to direct and manoeuvre him without needing to bark orders at him. When he held hands with his brothers, he felt as if he was nothing but a pain in their side; a burden to their current moment in time.

Holding hands with Max was another concept, one that the other had ignited. That night at Bible study, where the young man had taken hold of his hand in his, he could still remember the ice-cold droop in his gut - preparing himself to become yet another person’s burden. But the frostbite didn’t take hold of him, and instead, a fire began to crackle in the pit of his stomach. Little did he know or understand that this would be the beginning of knowing it felt like to be loved. Undeniable, genuine love for another; wanted by another, wether it was through a physical attraction or a blossoming friendship. When they held hands, it felt like he was there to transfer all of his support to his dear friend. It was a warm blanket to wrap around his cold, shivering body on the harshest of winter nights.

But with Abby.
It was always different.

The moment he could feel her hand touching his own, an uncontrollable knee-jerk reaction took place; the corners of his lips turned upright before he could catch himself from doing so. Her bright smile and bubbly demeanour; Joshua had no chance in hell fighting against that. Abigail's smile was contagious, bubbling in his chest and pulling on all the muscles of his face no matter how much he wanted to hold them back. After all, after spending most of your lifetime hiding your smile from the world, it was still difficult to push through those insecurities that huddled in the back of your brain. But with Abigial, things were different.

“Okay, okay,” he nodded in agreeance, a wide smile forming upon his face, his cheeks forming into a hue of rose. “You’re right. We don’t want to miss them” Quickly placing on his face mask, he then allowed her to pull him from his seated position. He had thought that maybe she would simply let go of his hand now that he was up. But she didn’t. She kept holding on and began to lead him. His face melted for a moment, lost in a sea of curiosity about what this might’ve meant as his eyes travelled from their hands, put her arm and towards her face as she concentrated on leading them out of the establishment. Holding hands with Abigail Hargreaves was always different. So, did this mean that this - their little adventure tonight - was something different too?

As they walked side by side, hand in hand, he decided to put the question out into the universe without verbally speaking it. Delicate movements of his fingers found themselves in the spaces between Abigial’s glove ones; fingers entwined, palms flatted against each other, and a sturdy yet gentle grasp. It felt as if his hands were always meant to be wrapped in hers, his fingers finding comfort and warmth tucked and combed between hers. Thank God for the mask that covered his lower face, hiding the grin and peach tones of blush as his heart decided to tango with great speed. If anything, he would have to blame the walk from the booth to the car as being far too long and being riddled with a lack of exercise opportunities. But Joshua had to confess that the walk from the booth to the car, the moments in which he was able to hold onto her hand like that, was far too short.







/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.
 







teo choi



  • .



“As we go on, we remember… all the good times… We had together…”

The velvet, raspy voice lingered in the air of the apartment complex as it’s owner triumphantly climbed the stairs. The elevator was currently being serviced, which meant the only mode of transportation up to his new apartment was by the means of legs, feet and a pile of stairs. Now, one would wonder why an elevator was being serviced this late of night - and on New Years Eve. Well, it’s what Teo had been told as he went to board the elevator this fine night. A young couple that had been canoodling as they lingered nearby for the same elevator managed to slip their way first through the crack of the doors before the larger male placed his hand out to stop Teo from walking into it.

“Hold on -” the brute firmly said, one hand remaining up to signal the boy to stop his steps and the other wrapped around the hip of his female friend, causing her to giggle with delight “You catch the next one”

Teo had paused, looking at the gentleman, his girl, and then the structure of the elevator. “Is it getting serviced?” the dim witted, half cut boy asked. The other male snorted at Teo before nodding with a “Sure. Getting serviced” before the chime of the elevator indicated the closing doors. The mechanical doors shut before Teo’s face, causing him to pause for a moment or so. And then it dawned on him.

“Those two are going to fucking die if they’re in there and they’re not finished servicing the elevator”

Oh well.

Pressed lips held back any futher thoughts before he shrugged to… no one, and began his journey up the stairs. He was only a couple of floors up, but having his hands consumed with plastic bags of food and hair dye (to aid the dark roots starting to form upon his bleached top head) - and not to mention the combination of some happy drinks and maybe one or two pills - made it much more of an adventure than any normal person would’ve fathomed. The poor residents would’ve had to listened to his drunken reditions of popular 1990s music, reverbriating off the walls and slithering through the door cracks. He was currently on Vitamin C’s ‘Graduation Song’ as he approached his door. Thank God his voice wasn’t too hard on the ears.

Keys out, the boy began to thumble in a great gesture to open up the door of his new residence. He had only been here for a couple of weeks, but he was starting to get the hang of things. He knew that the neighbours on the left of him were an old married couple who spoke Italian (and he knew that because his friend had taught him a couple of swear words in Italian in highschool; and boy, did they like to use some of those words when watchign Teo come and go). The neighbours on the right? He wasn’t sure of as of yet; he was still waiting to have the pleasure of meeting them. Finally, the neighbour across from his own was some sort of Russian male who kept asking him if he knew ‘where the Greens’ were. Teo had not the slightest clue what the dude was on about, but after the eighth time he asked, he offered him some weed. That was not the Greens he was after, apparently.

“Arrggg,” he growl of frustation fell from his lips as he attempted to push the key in and turn it. It seemed that he was too prideful to place his shopping down to see if that would help in assist in opening the door some how. It also seemed that he was progressively getting more high within each second as he wasn’t even using the right key to try and open the door. It was just far too hard, I guess, as Teo placed his head against the wooden door and whimpered to it. “Just let me in, pleaseeee. I have fried chicken. Good fried chicken. I promise I won’t make too much of a mess either…”







/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.
 
Emily Gallagher
Happy .. so far
Walking home from work
Olipop Chimney Swift Chimney Swift
Click Me
As Emily clocked off work for the day she couldn't help the grin on her expression. Being scheduled for the morning shift on New Years Eve meant that Emmy could go out tonight and the other plus of not being scheduled in again until the 2nd of January meant that she could also get as drunk as she possibly wanted to without the worry of being hungover in work and Emmy planned to party hard.

Between Christmas, work and Kenzie's suddenly distant behaviour the last few weeks had been pretty tough and stressful for Emily and she couldn't wait to blow off steam, to forget all about the drama and issues. She needed a night where she acted her age, not like her siblings parents but a 24 year old woman in the prime of her partying years. Sometimes Emily forgot that she was only in her 20s having taken on the role of a mother to her brother and sister so young. It was easy to forget she was still young herself, in the prime of her life as some may say.

Emily had planned to hold a party in their house even offering for Kenzie to be able to drink with them but she had turned it down, it was then that Emily realised that as far as she was aware, Kenzie had been completely sober and mostly in the house for the last month or so. She wanted to believe that Kenzie was turning her life around, finally giving up the rebellious stage but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening with her baby sister. She had tried to talk to her but was always met with an ambiguous response or quietness and it worried Emily to no end. She knew growing up meant fighting for independence but it was like Kenzie was estranged for them, living in the house but no longer family. She found herself wishing for Kenzie to be a child again, to go back to when Kenzie would tell her everything from what she did in school to whatever issues she was having with herself or other people. She wanted Kenzie to know she wasn't alone but her words seemed to keep falling on deaf ears.

Lost in her thoughts Emily almost missed the small boy walking towards her and to be honest she would have walked straight past him until her eyes landed on the frightened boy and she immediately stopped walking. "Oliver" a tone of caution and concern could be heard as she took in his timid appearance "everything ok?" she asked as a soft yet welcoming smile graced her lips. Well she can't seem to help Kenzie but maybe she could help him.


 







abigail hargreaves



  • .



It had taken a few minutes, but the car was finally starting to warm up, rubbing gloved hands together seemed to temporarily fight off the freezing temperatures, but was not sufficient enough, placing them in front of the vent where the hot air was blasting from. Adjusting said vents to blow onto her face, she reaches to move the passenger vent so that Josh would be able to warm up as well, "If it's too much, you can move it to be more comfortable." Abigail gave Josh a smile as she reached down to the gear shift, put the car into reverse, and left the parking lot of the McDonald's, heading towards the pier.

The pier was only about a 10-minute drive from their previous location, so there wasn't too much of a rush, especially since it was getting closer to midnight, so most of the traffic had already died down. As they arrived at the parking lot for the pier, Abigail's eyes watched the parking spots as she drove by, trying to find one that was empty, preferably somewhere close considering the weather, but with the clock ticking, any spot would be sufficient enough. After a few minutes of searching, one appeared, it was relatively close and the best option that the two had at that point, so she claimed it by turning in and placing the car into park.

Her mind flashes back to July earlier that year, the day that she had met Josh, things were coming full circle, she never thought that the boy whose shoes she threw up on would be the same one that was sitting in the car next to her, about to watch the fireworks together. It took a minute, but she had finally braced herself for the harsh temperatures that they were protected from at the moment, she turned her head to the boy in her passenger seat and gave him a smile, "Are you ready?"

Shutting the car off, she hopped out and walked to the front of the vehicle, waiting for Josh to join her, hands covering the lower part of her face to try and keep some of the warmth that remained from the ride over. There was 10 minutes until the countdown would begin, so there was still plenty of time for the two to make their way toward the crowd of people that had gathered around and on the pier, waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Once Josh had joined her, she lead the two toward the area where they had met earlier in the year, through the conversations that were happening around them, you could hear fireworks being shot off in the distance, the smell of gunpowder filled the air, along with the sky being filled with smoke, people had been shooting fireworks off since sunset, but there was just something different about watching them from the pier, maybe it was the sentimental value of the location and company that was with her that made the experience more enjoyable.

Closing in on an open area directly on the pier, the two had finally found a place where they could wait and not be squished in by the surrounding spectators. Abigail stepped closer to Josh, resting her head on his bicep, glancing up at him, and giving him another smile, her hand intertwined with his, she speaks up once more, wanting to make sure that he was enjoying himself just as much as she was, "Are you excited?" She gave his hand a light squeeze before looking back out onto the pier, watching the people get comfortable before the show started.


 
coded by sugarnaut
A
few minutes earlier…

Oliver didn’t know what happened.

It had just been a normal delivery, the kind he’d been doing for months now. He knew the routine, and he was used to it: find the customer, slip the bag into their hand, walk away. No talking, no lingering. It was simple. It was easy. Or, at least, it was supposed to be.

Oliver found the customer, a thin grizzled man in his 50s, loitering outside the auto repair shop on Flint Street. The man, transfixed on his half-spent cigarette, didn’t notice the young teenager at first until their hands met and the contraband was exchanged. Job well done, thought Oliver, as he continued down the street as he’d been instructed. Fleeing the scene was the most important part of the job–

That was when the man grabbed Oliver by the hood, roughly pulling the boy back. He was yelling, most of the words Oliver was too alarmed to process; everything had gone white and blurry, his ears ringing with panic. Was this the wrong customer? A misunderstanding? Was he trying to get more than he was owed? By the time Oliver finally broke free of the man’s grip and stumbled back to the sidewalk, the man had crescendoed into a fury, spitting and yelling incoherently, reaching for something in his back pocket.

Two earsplitting gunshots ripped through the air just centimeters beside him and above his head, so close that he could have felt them if not for the instant burst of adrenaline that forced him to keep running for his life.

And by now…

He’d been running for far too long for his lungs to keep up. The panic took him far out from the city’s epicenter and back onto the smoky streets of the Industrial District. Still terrified and confused, his only instincts telling him to keep running, his failing body forced him to stop. He slumped against a brick wall, covered in sweat and struggling to catch his breath. He didn’t even know that he was right beside his own home, the decrepit Chalamet Building… he didn’t recognize it. Everything looked alien and unfamiliar.

And that was how Emily found him.
“Everything okay?” Her soft voice managed to find its way through the fog of panic that wracked his brain. He looked up at her, wheezing and barely still conscious, but didn’t answer immediately. He didn’t know what had happened. It was all a blur to him. He stammered without speaking for a few minutes, turning pale as his eyes went blank and foggy in confusion.

“I… got shot at.” That was all he managed to say to his friend. He wasn’t even sure it was true.

He hadn’t yet realized that his shoulder was bleeding.



The more I learn about the world,

The less I understand why I'm here.

coded by sugarnaut

coded by Sugarnaut
 







joshua jones



  • .



As the night drawled, two things became incredibly apparent to Joshua Jones. The first was this was the first time he had stayed up past… well, his bedtime, really. Of course, there was the Halloween party. But the concept of time was nothing more than a blur that night, something which Joshua had pinpointed down to the alcohol that Abby and Max had offered him. Nothing to do with the multiple brownies he had stored away in his stomach. Of course not. But this was the first time he had been out of the house, intentionally attempting to stay up for a certain amount of time while sober.

The heater and vents pointed in his direction as they travelled in the carefully rocking car - while did provide warmth in the icy air - and a full stomach after their pit stop at McDonalds only aided in creating a warm, cradling environment that wanted to sway him into a land of slumber. Eyes feeling droopy and dry, he glanced over at the dashboard to see the illuminating lights. It wasn’t even midnight, and he felt like he could fall asleep at any given moment. As mentioned, it was way past his bedtime. Nine o’clock on the dot, Joshua had to be in bed; everything needed to be finished before then. Homework, house chores, shower, packed bags and clothes ready for the next day, hair dried, and finally, pyjamas on and brush your teeth. For the younger Jones girls, they had to have done all of this by eight-thirty. It was only because he was drawing the end of his time in high school and for the public holiday that he was given permission to be out late at night. Oh, and the white lie that they were using the opportunity a prayer meeting.

The other thing he noticed was how the night was only getting colder. You would think that it was common sense. As the sun disappears, there is a lack of warmth. For Joshua Jones, who considered 9:10pm as late, this was his first time experiencing this. And while his hooded jumper, jeans and beanie had been a fabulous selection this evening, he was almost starting to regret it. Every time an isolated chill slipped through the cracks of the car door, a shiver ran down his spine. But, Joshua Jones did what Joshua Jones did. He sat there, telling himself that this was a consequence of his own decisions and that others shouldn’t have to be burdened by it. It was his choice not to pick something warmer, so it was him who would have to deal with it.

Don’t make stupid choices and then spend your time complaining about it. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. You would know better if you paid better attention during study. His father would say before throwing out a bible verse to confirm Joshua’s own stupidity further.

As Abby parked the car, Joshua readjusted himself in the chair to sit up straight. After all, he didn’t want to appear like he had been slouching as that would’ve been rude. She chucked him a smile, questioning it he was ready to which he responded with a soft, somber smile - trying to push away any fatigue that might’ve been creeping through - and a head nod. Hands grasped firmly around his backpack, fearful that Abby’s car would get broken into if he left it behind, Joshua exited the car and was instantly hit with the freezing temperatures. The wind knocked out of him briefly as he closed the door behind him, he had to keep reminding himself; this was the consequence of his actions. Placing his backpack on, he ensured his hood and beanie were placed upon his head and wouldn’t fall before placing his numb, icy hands into his hooded jumper pockets.

Their walk to the pier was picturesque.

While it may have seemed like another night to any other local, this was the first time Joshua had seen the pier lit up in such a way. They were always home before it got too dark and never experienced seeing every single light glimmering upon the reflection of the waters below. People ran on the shore with their sparklers, screaming with glee, and others were playfully shooting rockets. He may have dragged his feet a bit too much, but he kept reminding himself to keep moving for Abby’s sake. He didn’t want to annoy her by gawking at everything they walked by.

Joshua took a moment to take everything in as they finally found a place. His mind flickered to the fourth of July when he had met Abigail for the very first time. While the temperature around them sent a chill in everyone’s body, he could feel a warmth radiate in the pit of his stomach at the mere thought. He had been readjusting the twisted strap of his backpack when he felt Abigail’s had rest against his bicep; her fingers then hooking with his and entwining them, softly squeezing as she asked him if he was excited.

“Yeah,” he exhaled in a small puff before a yawn decided to interrupt his next work; mist forming from his mouth as the warmth of his breath mingled with the crisp air. Mask. Dammit. He had left it in the car. Well, another poor choice by Joshua Jones for the night. Gazing down at the girl who was resting upon his arm, he noticed the tip of her nose turning into a hue of salmon. While he had to deal with the consequence of his own action, the thought of Abby having to do so also was enough to draw concern. “Are you cold? You must be cold” he asked before deciding she must be cold despite her obviously well-equipped outfit for the night. “Hold on, I’ve got a blanket”

Regretfully Letting go of her hand, Joshua unhooked his bag off his shoulders and swung it to the front of himself. Now why the heck did he have a blanket. Well, he had to pretend that he was going to a sleepover after a prayer session. His mother had insisted that he should bring a blanket in case he was too cold at night and there weren’t enough blankets to go around. In hindsight, it was working in his favour. Stuffed into his bag was a blue queen-sized waffle blanket which he managed to pull out without the other contents of his bag following through.

“Here,” he began after zipping up his backpack and placing it on properly once more. Unravelling the blanket to Abby’s size, doubling up to keep her extra warm, he then draped it over her shoulders and grasped it tight at the front for her. “Are you feeling a little bit warmer? Or if you want, we can go and watch the fireworks from the car with the heater. I really don’t mind.”







/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.
 
Emily Gallagher
Extremely concerned
Gallagher Household
Olipop Chimney Swift Chimney Swift
Click Me
It wouldn't take a detective to realise something had gone horribly wrong for Oliver. She knelt down in front of him and waited patiently as he stammered allowing him to get his words out without adding pressure to speak faster. Whilst all she wanted to do currently was grab Oliver by the shoulders and tell him to spit it out she knew adding pressure like that would only crumble his already extremely fragile psyche.

Shot ...

Emily's eyes widened in horror as Oliver finally told her what happened. She quickly tried to hide the fear and shock of her expression, instead trying to hold a kind and caring look on her features, as though he had told her simply fell and grazed his knee not that he had a bullet lodged in him somewhere.

He's just a kid.. younger than Kenz

She quickly looked over Oliver praying silently that the kid was unharmed and that the sudden whiteness of the boys face could be put down to shock and fear from the situation he had found himself in. Unfortunately this was not the case and Emily bit her lip as she fought to keep all emotions of her expression as her landed on the stream of crimson red flowing from his shoulder, so bright and noticeable against the paleness of his skin. It was hard to tell how much he had already lost and if the bullet was still lodged within his shoulder. She needed a better look but here was not the place, besides it was probably better to get him out of the streets before a cop car stumbled across them.

"C'mon" she said as she stood up before reaching out her hands to slowly help him up. Once standing Emily put an arm loosely around Olivers good shoulder as she guided him towards her house "I'll bring you back to mine, make you some tea to help the shock and we can talk about what happened if you want". Whilst she made it sound as though he had a choice, her arm remained stiffly around his back to keep him moving with her.

Once at the house, Emily unlocked the door and shouted hello to the house, the lack of response confirmed that it was empty. Normally she would have wondered where her siblings were and what they were doing but right now her priority and the only thing on her mind was Oliver. Emily motioned for Oliver to sit down in the kitchen chair as she moved over to the press to get the first aid kit.

"I need to have a look at this ok?" her voice was soft as she took a chair beside him. Using a cloth she tried to wipe the blood but found it a fruitless task as more blood flowed out with each wipe. "Ok.. I think it went straight through so the bullet is out but you need stitches" Emily spoke quite matter-of-factly as she stated this her eyes still on the wound before she looked up at Oliver's face, her expression softening once more.

"I can do it or I can take you to a doctor" she sat back as she gave Oliver the choice, allowing him to make up his mind on how he wanted his wound to be treated. Growing up in America, with no money, essentially no parents and no healthcare meant that the Gallaghers didn't have access to the medical care that they sometimes needed, it was too expensive and food always came first. It was for this reason that Emily learned a few things about medical care or at least she could do stitches, having learned pretty quickly since her siblings were wild children, always climbing, always running and continuously falling and hurting themselves, learning to do stitches was almost like learning to sew clothes and the skill had saved them hundreds if not thousands of dollars by now. It was a blessing that Emily wasn't squeamish but growing up around crack head addicts probably helped with that.
 
coded by sugarnaut
"I
w… I w-want you to do it.”

His stammering voice made him sound uncertain, but letting Emily take care of his wound instead of seeking professional care was an easy choice for Oliver to make.

Going to the hospital was out of the question. Medical personnel are mandated reporters to law enforcement, which meant that there was no way that either of them would be able to explain why a 15-year-old needed treatment for a bullet graze without someone getting the police involved. Oliver couldn’t risk anyone finding out what exactly he was doing that got him in this predicament. If anyone knew he was running drugs around the city for the Bratva, it would be juvenile detention for him and prison for all his new Russian friends. And then one of them would probably snuff him in his cell for snitching on the operation.
Besides that, there were other reasons. Oliver hadn’t been to a hospital since he was 4. He wouldn’t be able to explain his lack of recent medical records either… he couldn’t get his mom in trouble, knowing that it would hurt Ashley too.
Even the gruesome mockery of a family that the Dreyfuss-Parks were, even something like that was better than foster care. He knew that much, and he owed it to his friend and stepsister to not tear the facade down with his inability to tell complex lies.

Still, though,as certain as he was that he’d made the right choice, he flinched and shrank back in his chair like a frightened animal as soon as Emily opened the first-aid kit. The thought of a needle piercing his torn and injured flesh instantly made him nauseous, twisting his stomach into dizzying knots. In seconds, he found himself staring up at the ceiling so as not to pass out, gripping the sides of his chair and queasily rocking back and forth. He hadn’t even really felt the pain until just now– the burning sensation seemed to blossom under his skin, ripping through his veins and sending electric shocks down the arm. His brain, usually such a logical piece of machinery, seemed to refuse to process what was happening to him now.

All things considered, though, getting shot hurt less than he would have imagined. People always talked about getting shot like it was the worst pain possible, but was it, really? Oliver had certainly felt worse, and right now he was more nervous about the treatment than the injury itself. His muddled brain was now busily conjuring up images of all the other times in his life he’d been in this kind of pain, in some sort of backwards attempt to soothe and distract itself from what was happening right at this moment. His cloudy brown eyes remained transfixed on the cracks in the ceiling, refusing to look down and acknowledge what was going on, and he anxiously chewed the inside of his cheek, but even if he wouldn’t look at Emily, he was glad she was there. He wouldn’t have been able to tend to something like this by himself.

If he only had a tough shell like a turtle, this never would have happened.




The more I learn about the world,

The less I understand why I'm here.

coded by sugarnaut

coded by Sugarnaut
 
Emily Gallagher
worried, cautious
Gallagher shithole Household
Olipop Chimney Swift Chimney Swift
Click Me
Emmy nodded as Oliver confirmed he wanted her to do it. His decision wasn't a surprise to Emily after all it was common sense not to go to hospital with a gunshot wound especially if your from around this side of the city.

Emily got up and walked over to the cabinet in which they kept their medical supplies. An impressive array of items for all different injuries and illnesses gathered over the years, mostly stolen but that's besides the point, the important thing was that it was here and that Emily knew how to use most of it. It took a lot of practice and using her siblings as test dummies but she learned and a good thing for Oliver is that Emily had a lot of practice doing stitches thanks to James who constantly came home needing them after his nights of drunken antics with Cooper.

Coming back to stand beside Oliver, Emily pulled the kitchen chair over and took a seat beside his injured arm. She carefully placed the medical thread through the eye of the needle before gently moving him into the position she needed him to sit.

"Okay right keep very still" Her voice took over an almost motherly soothing tone as she spoke. "I also recommend leaning back and closing your eyes so you cant see it" once Oliver seemed to get as comfortable as he could possible get in this situation, Emily began, moving quickly but carefully to cause as little pain as possible for him.

"Okay all done" Emily cut the end of the string from the needle before placing the needle down and looking at her handiwork. The wound still looked painful and she was sure that the experience as a whole had taken a major toll on Oliver by now. Emily gave him the opportunity to look before she carefully wrapped it up to keep the site of the wound clean from infection.

Emily bit her lip almost in thought before standing up again and moving over to rummage through the medical press. A grin took over her lips as she pulled out two painkillers and gave them to Oliver along with a glass of water.

"Soo" Emily said as she sat back down beside him "are we going to talk about what happened"
 







abigail hargreaves



  • .



A chill took over Abigail's hand as Joshua removed his to retrieve a blanket from his backpack, he had asked her if she was cold, and before she could get an answer out he was already draping a blanket over her shoulders. She had dressed appropriately for the weather but was appreciative of the thought and generosity of the boy standing next to her, there were no complaints from her about the temperature, but something must've given away the fact that the cold was beginning to settle into her bones.

Taking a look over at Josh, she noticed him yawning, it was getting late and the only other time that she had ever seen him out this late was at the Halloween party a few months back, the countdown was going to start within the next 5 minutes, so there wasn't too much time left that the two would be standing on the pier. Carefully unfolding the blanket once, she draped gently reached up and draped part of the blanket over the boy next to her. The temperature had dropped drastically as the sun went down, so Abigail knew that there was no way Josh could be as warm as when they first met up that day.

Returning her head back to its previous place before the blanket was added, Abigail admired the flashing lights that were flying up into the sky, exploding with various popping sounds, some were loud and fast while others let out a bang with a sizzle following behind, releasing glitter like lights into the night. She must've gotten lost in the mix of conversations around her and the light show because when she focused back people were beginning to count down from 10, chanting each number in unison with the crowd around them.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

A loud roar of people yelling "Happy New Year!" erupted around the two, as Abigail reached her arms up and placed them around Josh's shoulders, stretching up on her tiptoes to reach his face. She leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips, almost drowning out the celebrations that were taking place. It seemed like time had frozen still, the pier emptied out and had become silent during the moment that they were sharing. It was a bold move from Abigail's side, and there was no hesitation or preplanning of this, it was out of pure impulsivity.

Slowly, everything came back into focus, the crowds of people were back in their place along with all the conversations and explosions of fireworks, Abigail carefully removed her arms and adjusted her hair while looking up at Josh. Quietly hoping that this was something that he had wanted too, after clearing her throat slightly, she spoke up, "Uh.. Happy New Year." giving him a grin, there really was nobody else that she would've rather be in this moment with.


 
coded by sugarnaut
O
liver didn’t look down once during the whole time that his shoulder was being stitched closed, completely lost in the confines of his own mind. He only barely breathed in and out, and seemed frozen in place, with his eyes glazed over and transfixed on an invisible point on the ceiling, as if completely dissociated from what was happening to him. In truth, he was trying desperately hard not to faint or vomit, letting the pain numb down into a dull throbbing echo pounding through the veins of his arm.

It took several seconds after Emily finished the final stitch for him to resurface back into reality. He blinked slowly, eyes darting back and forth aimlessly in his head before taking a cautious glance down at the injured shoulder, shivering and groaning slightly under his breath as he examined Emily’s careful stitchwork. He nodded shakily, unable to wrack his brain enough to find the word ‘thank you’.

“Are we going to talk about what happened?” Emily’s voice was soft and reassuring, coaxing Oliver a bit further out of his trance, but he couldn’t answer her right away. He didn’t find his words until he had slid off of his chair and curled up on the kitchen floor, silently rocking himself back and forth and twisting strands of his dark hair around his pale fingers. He closed his eyes, took a ragged inhale, and spoke slowly, his words crippled by stuttering and stopping and restarting his words.

“Th-there was a guy, a man, this man, he was… he was t-t… t… kind of… k-kind of tall and uh… bald and older than– older than you… I think… a-and… but not as old as… as mom–” Even just mentioning his own mother, Oliver bit his lip and squirmed nauseously in his curled-up position. “--and when… he took the dr- the bag from me and st-st-started yelling really loud and so I ran away a-and when I ran away I just hear…” He suddenly stopped talking and covered his ears as if he expected more gunshots to come out of nowhere. He was shaking like a leaf now, eyes still forced shut as if that could save him from the visions of the event that kept scattering through his mind.

Nowhere in his explanation did Oliver succeed in mentioning the important threads of the story: that he’d been peddling drugs for the Russian mafia, and that a slip-up like this might get him in trouble with his employers.
Things like this weren’t supposed to happen. Too much noise and chaos on the streets could draw unwanted attention from law enforcement.

If Emily wasn’t quiet about this, Oliver’s entire life could unravel in an instant.



The more I learn about the world,

The less I understand why I'm here.

coded by sugarnaut

coded by Sugarnaut
 







joshua jones



  • .



Abigail seemed to be content as she stood with the blanket wrapped around her. It meant he could breathe a sigh of relief, concerned that the girl would freeze to death on his watch. Joshua offered her a closed-lipped smile as if to try and confirm that she was indeed happy and warm. However, the girl then began to unfold the blanket. His eyes widened slightly, confused to what she might be doing. As she wrapped the other part of the blanket around his shoulders, Joshua couldn’t help but let out a small “oh!” as he finally realised what she was up to. Well, it would be rude to reject her kind offer, would it not? As she placed her head back against his arm like prior, it took everything in Joshua’s being not to smile like a huge, goofy idiot.

Lights shot from the foreshore, spiralling drastically out of control in the air before triumphantly exploding in the air with ear-piercing pops and crackles. It was something that he had not been expecting; his eyes trailed up with the shimmering fireworks, and at the first explosion in the sky, it rattled the boy a bit more than he had been expecting. He knew that fireworks were loud explosions; but he had never really comprehended how loud they were. With each pop illuminating the night sky, it caused the boy to jump unintentionally. His eyes were transfixed on the spiralling shimmering light show, unable to hold in the soft “Oh wow”s that fell from his lips as he stood there in absolute awe of it all.

The colours, sights, sounds and smells; it was all new to Joshua who had only really ever experienced the performance of a firework through a television screen, a window, or that one time from a far away distance. As people around them began to count down, he couldn’t help but turn his gaze away from the fireworks and look around to those who cheerfully counted down. Yet another thing he had never encountered in real life; an actual countdown to midnight. It was all foreign to him, and he was experiencing it for the very first time. And just as the people finally reached the end of their countdown, erupting into cheers and welcoming the new year, what once felt foreign was beginning to fade to familiarity.

As a pair of arms linked around his shoulders, Joshua’s attention was dragged away from the celebrations around them and to the owner of those arms. He didn’t have much time to process what was going around him, but as soon as Abby’s lips met with his own, he could feel it; that familiarity. The sweet taste of vanilla, and his most favourite smell in all of the world, was before him and inviting him in to be indulged. Something that dragged him to this newfound place called home where he felt nothing but pure, unfiltered love. It wasn’t a love that was forced nor an obligation, but rather one that came straight from a direct line to one’s heart and soul. And no matter how long their lips had been pressed, had it been for two seconds or twenty minutes, it was never long enough.

As she pulled back from their kiss, he could already feel it.

He was homesick.

She gazed up at him and bashfully offered him a Happy New Year with a grin. The boy stood for a moment or so, his body almost in a state of shock after being ripped away from something so lovely. Despite the freezing temperature around them, he could feel his face lighting afire, and his ears burning the hottest they had ever been. “Happy… new year” he managed to get out, his words unstable and rattled. His brown eyes connected with hers before he couldn’t help himself; they flickered towards her lips. Plump, warm and inviting on this harsh, cold night. Subconsciously, his tongue lightly trailed his lips as they felt absolutely incredibly dry and cold in this icy wind.

“Is it… um… is it ok if… if I…”

Where did this boldness come from?

Their last kiss had been a result of substances running feral throughout their system; it was one that Abigail didn’t even remember. But now she knew about it. They hadn’t talked about it, but she knew about it. And she still held his hand. She still rested up against him. She still kissed him. It must’ve meant something, right? He was pretty sure she wasn’t drunk or on anything - and if she was, she was damn good at hiding it. So, all of this had to mean something, right?

Light brown eyes trailed back down to her lips. Before he could even get the rest of the sentence, he found himself being lured to them. What was the worst that could happen? She got offended, smacked him, told him that she had been joking, smack him with some sort of sexual assault charge and their friendship would be over? Well, yeah. That was probably the worst thing to happen to anyone. But what was the best that could happen? Because, right now, the best was overpowering the worst. And he was willing to take the risk to have those few moments wrapped up in the feeling of being loved and wanted.

Leaning down, he closed that painful gap that had been between their lips; his own capturing and taking her’s hostage. He couldn’t have thought of a better night like tonight. Of course, he had broken all the rules. He lied, snuck out past his bedtime, had fast food, and was now locking lips with a girl. But it was worth it. Every second that his parents would depict as walking in sin or betraying Jehovah were his most favourite seconds he had ever lived on this world.







/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.
 
MOOD: WTF

OUTFIT: Here

LOCATION: Gallagher Residence
basics
MENTIONS:


INT:

Emily neverbackdown neverbackdown

Oliver Chimney Swift Chimney Swift

tags
TL;DR:
tl;dr
Wolf Thackery
The world is a beautiful place
But we have to make it that way
Wolf could swear he heard gunshots in the distance.

On the streets of Joplin, that wasn't exactly an unusual occurrence. He was off duty, but the police officer remained on high alert as he took a brisk walk through the cold December air, strings of Christmas lights still blinking silently under the haze of smog throughout the Industrial District.

It was New Year's Eve, and Wolf was on his way to fetch his good friend Emily for a night out drinking. Okay, so he would most likely just be nursing a beer the entire night, not really much of a drinker these days. Really, it was just an excuse to spend time with her. And of course, to make sure Emily got home safely if she wanted to let loose for the night and get completely wrecked. She so rarely got to do such things. Even back in the day, when a teenage Wolf was out carousing with the other jocks, the eldest Gallagher daughter would often skip those parties, dutifully staying home to care for her younger siblings while her parents were off doing their own thing.

As his heavy, black boots took him closer to his destination, Wolf tried to ignore the nervous energy that was beginning to bubble up inside him. Chilling with Emily had become a regular occurrence as of late. This was just another casual hangout, so there was absolutely no reason to feel this way. Yet every time the beautiful brunette would jump into his arms to greet him with a friendly hug, it felt like his heart might thump right out of his chest.

He could only hope Em wasn't on to him. She would surely think him a massive creep if she knew her friend was secretly lusting after her. She might even assume he was only pretending to enjoy her company, just to get close to her again like the two were in their high school days. And then biding his time for the perfect moment to make a move on her. All of that couldn't be further from the truth, but Wolf was acutely aware of how the situation might look.

"Emmy?" Wolf called out as he peeked inside before letting himself into the house. "Anybody home?" It didn't take him long to find the brunette, deep in concentration as she sat expertly stitching up a flesh wound.

"Holy–what happened?? Are you okay?" He asked the wincing kid as Emily finished up her work on his shoulder. Wolf instantly recognized him. One of the neighborhood kids that hung around the Chalamet building where his aunt and cousins lived, though the pale boy's name escaped him in the moment.

The sheer amount of blood soaking through the boy's shirt made Wolf gasp, mouth agape in disbelief as to why this procedure was being done in the Gallaghers' kitchen and not a hospital where it clearly belonged.

"Em, what the hell happened to him? This kid needs a hospital, like right now!" His voice full of adament concern, the officer gently took Emily by the arm in an effort to catch her gaze and attention.

code by valen t.
 
Emily Gallagher
Uh-Oh
Gallagher shithole Household
Olipop Chimney Swift Chimney Swift & Wolf Qwertycakes Qwertycakes
Click Me
Emily listened quietly as Oliver recounted what happened, she could tell that he was frightened and that even recounting the story was difficult for him. Growing up within her own family and in the same area as Oliver meant she knew that his fear was not just because of what happened but rather what could happen if this story got out and the cops got involved.

As Emmy began to reassure Oliver that his secret was safe with her, life with its perfect timing, as always, threw a spanner into the works as the front door of the Gallagher house opened and a recognizable voice called her name

"Shit" she mumbled under her breath as a hand grabbed onto her arm to get her attention and the panicked yet confused voice of Wolf filled the room. While she was always happy to see Wolf, now was not the best time for a cop to present himself in her home and as she looked down at her stitching equipment, Oliver's bloody arm and the very obviously sewn bullet wound in his shoulder she mentally facepalmed herself as she could only imagine how this all looked.

It looks exactly how it is

She looked at Oliver with the best reassuring expression she could muster before looking up at Wolf, her eyes pleading for him to listen and understand the delicate situation. The last thing she needed was for Oliver to run away now when he clearly needed somewhere to calm down or worse for Wolf to look into this and Oliver to get in trouble. Whilst Oliver was the victim of a shooting, she knew as well as anybody that Oliver was not an innocent party, kids don't just get shot for walking down the street, he was doing something whether it was dealing drugs or something worse, but now due to her surprise visitor she knew that Oliver would never tell her the truth or let her know how deep he was actually in.

"He's okay, the wound is stitched he doesn't need a hospital" her voice held a strong yet motherly tone, as she found herself trying not only to reassure Oliver that she was on his side but also reassure Wolf that she knew what she was doing.

Her and Wolf had a history, a history that Emily hoped could make its way back into their present although as she thought more into the scene in front of them she was sure that while he might listen to her now, any hopes of rekindling what they once had was probably thrown back into the dump to rot away and be forgotten about. Unfortunately she was used to scaring people off but it hurt to think that might happen with Wolf.

"Look honestly going to a hospital will make this worse, it's not worth the fuss, the bleeding has stopped, it wasn't bad really at all and i don't know what happened but you need to trust me on this please, I know what I'm doing" her eyes maintaining contact with Wolf's as she spoke, a sentence left out but hanging in the air "It comes with the territory and my life" .

Imaging how afraid and panicked Oliver felt right now, Emily knelt down beside him and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Oliver, this is Wolf he's a good friend of mine and based on the outfit, which looks good by the way" a smile played on her lips as she looked over Wolf, giving him a playful wink before her tone became serious once more "he is off duty and here as a friend"
 






FEBRUARY

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Today



Valentine's Day

Love is in the air~!






Notes

Valentine's Day
For the love of God - DON'T FORGET THE FLOWERS

Pride Parade!
Buy glitter. Lots of it







14th February 2014

Ah, Valentine's Day... the favorite holiday of dreamy young couples destined to be broken up by the springtime. While some may be spending their day, sulking over one-sided loves or spending more time on the perfect present than any assignment in their life time, others are spending time with the ones that they truly love.

And, coincidentally, Joplin's annual LGBT pride parade! Be gay, do crimes

The town's annual pride parade is in full swing with rainbow, glitter and entertainers, giving confidence to those who have lived a life within the confinements of their closets to finally enter the world with confidence. But, of course, there is always one group of people who have to ruin a good thing. Joplin's very own Kingdom Hall has made their way down to the parade, protesting and "praying the gay away".





Joplin News
"Yay for the Gays!" - Joplin's annual LGBT Pride Parade!


Join us for a day of celebration at Joplin's annual LGBT pride parade with fun things to do with the whole family!






Joplin

53°



Light rain
42 / 53.6 F




Breaking news


Man caught on camera licking doorbell
Video shows the man standing outside the home before leaning in to lick the doorbell several times.... more





marfgin:
JOIN US FOR JOPLIN'S ANNUAL LGBT PRIDE PARADE!



/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 
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