The Bowery Presents
izzy's playlists!
Noah Kahan
taylor price
Jar Jar Binks Fan Club
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Misplaced Lens Cap
h
Interview Vampire Daily
shark vs the universe
I'd rather be in outer space đ¸
đ
gracie abrams
Cosmic Funnies
⣠Chile in a Photography âŁ
No title available
hello vonnie
ellievsbear
Origami Around
seen from South Africa
seen from Spain
seen from TĂźrkiye
seen from Malaysia
seen from TĂźrkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Bangladesh
seen from Sweden
seen from United States
seen from Sweden
seen from Singapore
seen from Iraq
seen from Brazil
seen from United States
seen from Chile
seen from United Arab Emirates
seen from Paraguay
@wannabewildagain
đ˛đ˝đśđ đžđť đžđ đśđđ đ¸đđđđš đˇđ đđ đđ đđ? âŚ.đŚđ¸đžđľđđˇ'đ˝ đ˝đąđŞđ˝ đŤđŽ đđ˛đľđ.
Ind. Lucy Emerson, The Lost Boys Film & Musical Follows back from @moonlitjinx
Ask âËâżË° About âËâżË° Verses âËâżË° Rules
request from @altaruwusmolboiz: "Hiiii! As a request, can you do Lucy and Sam? Theyâre my favorite duo! Ty :)"
they were born!! to!!! shop!!!!!
âWhat in theâ Who gave my dad a boat?!â
"The old man has a boat now?! Oh no that could be dangerous to the poor beach goers"
âLetâs hope he just keeps it in the garage like the car⌠Michael might actually run off if Dad ever takes it out.â
âWhat in theâ Who gave my dad a boat?!â
"it's nice to finally meet you, lucy," bea shakes her hand. "i'm a friend of michael's"
@beaizded
âItâs nice to meet you,â Lucy shakes her hand with a warm smile. âItâs been a while since Michael has introduced me to any of his friends. How did you meet each other?â
What are your favorite flowers, Lucy?
âOh!â A warm smile comes to her expression. âGrowing up, I always loved seeing lupines and poppies. But brittlebush flowers hold a special place in my heart. One spring when they were little, Michael and Sam picked a whole bouquet of the flowers for me. The neighbor who owned the bush they got them from wasnât too happy about it, but it was the sweetest thing.â
Her smile turns softer, almost shy with a touch of bittersweetness.
ââŚRoses too mean a lot to me, but thatâs for a different reason.â
Do you have a favorite piece of fashion from the 60's you'd want to come back in-style?
âMan, where do I start?! The bellbottoms, the bright colors and floral prints, the boots?! I donât know. Clothes back then just felt more⌠fun! They felt free, they flowed like you were meant to move around in them, you know? Now it feels like itâs all high necked shirts, pointed heels and shoulder pads.â
Open ask box?
Boss man is actinâ extra yell-y today. Meanâs heâs frustrated âbout somethinâ. I donât know what, but I do know we can bombard him with random bullshit we like about him until he fixes himself.
I RALLY YE TOGETHER, SANTA CARLA!! GIMME REASONS WHY YA LOVE THE BOSS MAN AND IâLL THROW EM IN A BIG LIST!!
@wanttobelongtosomeone @immortal-rebel @nocturnalpolaroid @wannabewildagain @eternal-family-man @yourlocalboardwalkwitch @starshallnotfall @forever-in-the-neon-lights ((anyone else who wants to lol))
âDo you mean David? âIâm not sure yelling at people is the best way to handle feeling upset, but is he alright?â
âWell⌠neverthelessâŚâ
âYou know the old saying that first impressions are always wrong? I really do think thereâs so truth to that, and it certainly fits for my very first impression of David. He might be surprised though to hear that it doesnât fit my second impression of him. Sure, being grilled at my place of work by a boy I had watched harass my younger son wasnât exactly fun, but the impression that conversation gave me of David might⌠surprise him. Because for all that he did to taunt me, to walk me around in circles and to call me a bad mother⌠he also showed me more of himself than I think he realized.
âHe showed me how fiercely loyal he is, how much his brothers mean to him and how far heâs willing to go for the people he cares about. He showed me how resilient he is, how heâll keep on fighting no matter what life throws at him. Without even meaning to, he showed me how strong he was, and I donât mean in the vampire sense.â
ââŚmost of all, he showed me how badly he deserves a chance. A chance to feel safe, to feel loved, to have a home of his own where he knows heâs accepted for who he is and will never be expected to change.â
ââŚI hope one day he truly knows and believes that.â
âUh, Ms. Emerson? Did Michael ever knock things over when he was a kid? Iâve been hearing things and I⌠not gonna lie, Iâm a bit worried for him.â
âI really wish I could say that this was something new butâŚ. Heâs always been like this. He once took out an entire display at the grocery store. Iâm glad at least heâs gotten good at repairing things when he accidentally breaks them.â
The vampire leans into Lucy. Still worried about hurting the woman. But she couldn't argue back. She was too weak.
"The alley.... it's dark." She groans. "Just gotta be quiet." She adds with another whine. Her grip on her growing.
"It's okay. I've got you, Rose," She held her close, leading her into the alley way. "It's going to be alright."
Once they were far enough in, Lucy shifted so that the other woman was braced against the wall. The last thing she wanted was for her to fall to the ground.
She carefully pushed up her sleeve.
"It's going to be okay, but you need to eat," She gave her a soft smile, and offered her arm out to her. "I trust you. I know you won't hurt me. But please... take what you need."
đ°asy to see where her boy had gotten itâŚHis own resolve and stubbornness-his mother wasnât one so easily convinced of him no matter what words he spoke to her.
There was an excitement there, David couldnât ignore it-a woman whose fear was prevalent enough he could feel itâŚTaste it, like blood dripping down the neck she was such a pain to. But, even when her back was to the wall where he left her, she wouldnât stop fighting til the end. Ironic given what he had taken had brought her here-easier to fear someone whoâs given you cause when he hadnât done anything to her at all but talkâŚ
The challenge wasnât appreciated, but the thrill of the chase was always more fun with a push and a pull in it and Lucy sure knew how to provide in that wayâŚwith her meek push backs against him. More willing to believe in him than mostâŚOh, wasnât that something sweet-âSo, what you are saying is I need a good influence? One you think your boy can provide meâŚAw, Michael has already given me so much, Mrs. Emerson. Who would I be if I took any more from him?â
âIâm a generous kindâŚLoving folk like you. Donât take more than I needâŚA giver.â
âOh, I have now, have I? âMade the wrong assumptionsâ?â He chuckled, leaning against the counter when she had leaned on it too. Asserting anâŚauthority of his own over her in a single lazy action of his, getting all up in the motherâs space regardless of how appropriate or comfortable she was with it.
âThe way I see it is you learn a lot about a mother through her boysâŚThe way she parents themâŚThe things they need in another theyâre not getting in the home.â
He took a long pause. âDonât worry about it so much, Lucy. I can take it from where you canât. Michael is in good hands with me.â He winked. Davidâs face darkened up at her speech about âbad kidsâ as theyâd called it, all that spite and playfulness sucked right out of him and in its place something more sobered up and serious as he continued. âYou sound like someone else I knew. Someone Iâd thought had saved me too.â He responded quietly, almost wistful and sentimental even as forced as his expression looked.
Easy to lose the wayâŚMost people like her and him wouldâve thought he was lost. But, David had been found, more than anywhere else in the world, by being lost-
âBut, I do agree with you. All of my boys had been lost before they found me. Now they donât look so lost anymore, do they? What I give kids like them, kids like yours, Lucy-is a chance. To be whoever they want to without judgement, to be free from a world weighing them down and turning them miserable and coldâŚTo fly so to speakâŚâ Davidâs eyes darted away on that last part. âLike I said before, Iâm a generous type. I find the lost and give them homeâŚAnd salvation. Freedom. Come to collect the ones in need of someone like me to guide themâŚâ
The vampire cared to ignore the unspoken kind of truth in what he was saying-that her boy was his newest project, that in his eyes the one he needed to be freed from was standing behind the counter in front of him and he intended to collect his dues. âShe canât say whatâs best for Michaelâ but he can and will in timeâŚ
âTraditions are meant to be broken. Always been one forâŚforging your own path outside of the conventions people expect of usâŚâ He nudged her arm. âLook at that-another way we agree! See? We have so much in common under our different skinsâŚNever change for anyone but yourself. Though Maxâs beliefs areâŚHmm, well-not something I believe in myself. I believe in the power of transformation. Never too late to make him see things our way, huh? If you canât come around to him he can come around to youâŚâ David flexed his fingers before slowly drawing a line against the counter. âSomething tells me heâd do anything there was to keep you.â
She knew what he was doing, or rather, what he was trying to do. She'd spent far too long around having people run her around in circles, words seeming to swirl faster and faster until she couldn't see clearly enough to find a safe and stable way forward. It felt like a shard of ice to her heart, and all she could think was 'why?'
If he was a friend to Michael, why was he saying all of this? Why was he saying it at all? Who had hurt him, had caused this boy to turn so cold? Even has he stabbed her with his words, her heart broke for him.
"I think all of us need good influences in our lives, people to help us grow and be who we're meant to be," She shrugged a little. "Like I said, I know my son. Relationships aren't all just give or take, it's a two way street. I'm sure there are things Michael could learn from you too."
What exactly that could be, she didn't know. But even with how he was being with her, she refused to believe that this was all there was to David. She believed with all her heart that there was good in everyone, some people just needed to be a safe space and the chance for it to come forward.
This boy, however, was certainly testing her boundaries. His continued insults toward the way she raised her boys tore at her, but the way he sobered softened her heart to him yet again.
"You sound like someone I once knew," a bittersweet smile came to her lips. "You're right. Everyone deserves the chance to fly, to find that second chance. I hope that you and everyone around you is able to find that freedom... and I really hope that it never ends up leading you to somewhere where you'll fall further than you could ever imagine, like the fearless girl that I knew did."
"David, I don't really know what you're looking for from me. Like I've said, I know I'm not perfect. I know I've made mistakes, especially with Michael. All I want for him is to be happy, for him to have a life where he's able to be happy, to chase all of his dreams without having to be afraid or feel like he's being held down or controlled. Sure, there are things that I want for him, mistakes that I made that I want to keep him safe from. But at the end of the day, it's his life to live. And no matter what choices he makes, there's nothing that'll ever change how much I love him. Or how I'd give my life for his every time."
She only just managed to keep from flinching as he nudged her arm, having not expected the touch.
"Transformation is important, we do agree there," She'd give him that. "But it's something people have to want do on their own, not because someone's trying to make them change or because they want to please someone else. There's no 'keeping' me. Max has been very kind, but I've got to focus on Michael and Sam and trying to resettle here right now. Maybe after some time, who knows? But I'm really not interested in anything serious right now."
He never would have expected compassion from Lucy, not after what he'd done. Since seeing her in the doorway he'd braced himself for an attack; to have her perhaps drive a stake through him again, or have holy water in her purse. But no, instead there was this...patient kindness she was showing for his injury. Offering him a chair, staying behind to cover the more physical parts of the shift.
As Lucy disappeared to retrieve a chair, Max merely stood there, dumbfounded. It was perfectly practical, yes, that she would want the overtime for the money, he had no problems with that. Rather...it confused him that she was even entertaining the idea at all. Shaking his head, silently repeating once more what a remarkable woman she was, Max took the seat when she returned with it. "Thank you..." he kept his eyes averted once again, as if her gaze would petrify him like the fearsome Medusa.
A silence fell between them, awkward and seemed to stretch far longer than it actually was. Max was the first to break it, clearing his throat, "I hope you won't get hungry working so late. I know it's not, uh, the most healthy thing but Maria always keeps snacks in the office."
Lucy had thought at first that the silence would be better, that maybe if they stayed quiet than she could let herself pretend he wasn't there. But all it managed to do was put her even further on edge, so much so that she startled when he finally spoke.
Though she appreciated the thought, she couldn't say that the topic of his words put her at ease either.
She forced herself to roll with it. She had to, she'd let her fear control her again if she didn't. And so she gave him a skeptical look, a small smile on her lips. "Now I know I might have been blind to danger, but you've got to be kidding. Taking snacks from Maria? She's more protective of that drawer than even my dad ever was with his snacks, and he kept a padlock a fridge drawer at one point!"
In his defense, she had had a habit of raiding the drawer after nights out with friends on far too many occasions.
"I'll be fine, I've got plenty of leftovers at home I can get into later," She grabbed a stack of movies, ready to put them back on the shelf before she paused a moment.
He was being kind. He hadn't threatened her or acted anything like he had that night. He'd been willing to let her walk out...
"But... " A slight shake in her voice, a timid offer of an olive brand. "I've got the number for a pizza shop that I'm sure would deliver... if you'd want?"
If one thing was for certain, it was that this woman would never stop surprising him. First letting him speak to her at all, then staying behind with him, now offering food...Lucy held the heart of a saint, he was sure.
"Oh, thank you," Max smiled anxiously, truly unsure how to deal with such a thing. He hadn't anticipated generocity, or for them to even talk at all, so he was...unprepared to deal with it all. But the idea of simply sitting with Lucy and sharing pizza with her sounded...nice. "I-I happen to like the ones with as much meat on them as possible...and plenty of spices...oh, and funnily enough, garlic."
Talking about pizza preferences was perhaps not the most exciting conversation topic, but it was all he could think of. "A lot of people take one look at me and assume I'll only eat so-called high-brow food, like lobster and all of that. While that's all quite nice, I'll be the first to admit some of my favourite food over time has been...simpler, like pizza."
People assumed many things when they first saw him; mainly that he was awkward, squeamish, 'dorky' and rich...all of which were true, though he wouldn't consider himself the obnoxious, self-important kind of wealthy.
"I'm glad to hear that. I can't say lobster really fits in my budget. The only time I've ever actually had it was with you."
What should have been a sweet memory had been tainted, and she hated that. She hated that she was left questioning, trying to determine what was true and what had just been words to manipulate and control her. She hated that she still had to do that even now.
"I'll put the order in from the office," And call Mike again while she was at it. She didn't want him to worry. "There's a pile of returns on the counter than need rewound. See how many of them you can get through while I'm gone?"
She went to the office, allowing herself to all but collapse in the chair. Her head was swimming, her heart aching. She wanted to believe that Max was being truthful, but memories from that night and all that had happened still stayed at the front of her mind.
The calls went smoothly enough, the pizza ordered and only slight protests from Mike at having to keep an eye on Sam for the night. But they were over far more quickly than she would have liked, and all too soon she found her squaring her shoulders and stepping back out of the office again.
"So..." Should she even bother trying to initiate small talk? Was it safe for her to do so? "...how long have you and your boys actually been in Santa Carla?"
The womanâs words are driven with wisdom, something Aspenâs own mother failed to bring to her conversations. It was clear from the way she spoke and the manner in which she held herself that the woman had, for lack of a better word, experience.
Aspen did too, but she didnât make as clear.
âYeah, it really was incredible,â she laments, leaning her back against the glass case on the counter. âIt was like, I donât know, we were some kind of hive mind. We didnât have to say anything to each other but our instruments justâŚworked.â
The memories of such a pleasant life were tainted so quickly, and Aspenâs voice hits an invisible block when that part of her story crosses her mind.
Lifeâs path, for all its intents and purposes, was not what landed Aspen at the cafe on the boardwalk. If lifeâs path directed her, sheâd have diedâŚmultiple times.
Aspen feels a nervous lull in the conversation. She opens her mouth, hoping something productive comes out, but itâs empty.
Thank god the woman introduces herself.
A sense of relief washes over Aspen and it feels her entire body release tension. She sighs, grateful for the shift in tone, and offers her hand to Lucy with a gentle smile.
âAspen. Nice to meet you, Lucy,â she says. âGood to know thereâs at least one person in this town with any remaining sanity.â
And as much of an exaggeration that may sound like, both Aspen and probabaly Lucy know itâs true. Santa Carla is a place where nothing is normal.
"Keeping your sanity can be a pretty hard here," She laughed as she shook her hand in return. "But then again, just about everywhere anymore is crazy. And there's something special about the crazy you can find here."
Santa Carla had it's problems, she wasn't about to deny that. It was often an overcrowded tourist trap that only lead people to trouble. For years when she'd been younger, she dreamed of getting away. Of seeing a world beyond the west coast, of finding something different than what she'd known.
What she'd found was certainly that, different. It was a life unlike anything she'd ever expected, anything she'd ever thought she'd find herself in. And Arizona had made coming home to Santa Carla all the sweeter.
She wrapped her hands around her mug again, letting it ground her and pull her back to the present. She didn't want to be thinking about the past, only looking forward.
"Thank you again for the coffee," She meant it, though she was far more thankful for the friendly conversation. "Trying to get resettled here has been... more difficult than I expected."
It was an adjustment for all of them, and she had known that the boys would have some trouble at first. But the way Michael had been as of late was far beyond what she'd been expecting.
"I want to try to get to know things around here again. Anywhere else you'd recommend I look into?"
despite my activity still being slowed, I tend to pop in and lurk most days when I can. I hope you all know youâre incredible. I genuinely get so much joy out of seeing all the interactions going on across my dash.
Rose's eyes widen a little at the implications of Lucy's words. "Lucy.... I can't..." she groans her words. The hunger getting to her again. Head falling onto the other's shoulder.
Suddenly, all she could smell was Lucy. It was overwhelming and she pulls the other closer. "I don't want to hurt you...."
She truly wouldn't forgive herself if anything bad happened to the now older woman. Or even hurt her. She knew there was a safe way to feed on another, but it would still hurt just a little.
"You won't hurt me," She didn't know how, but she was certain of it. She understood what Rose was, what it meant for her to be in such a state, and yet, not for a moment did she think Rose would ever hurt her. "I know you won't."
She carefully began to move, wanting to get Rose somewhere away from other people, somewhere safe. But where?
"Please, Rose. Let me help you. Where can we go that will be safe for you?"
"woah..woah.. hey.. breathe for me okay? Deep breaths"
he carefully took the bag to look inside to see exactly what happened to make it puncture. He didn't look mad, a little confused at first but seemed to be oddly calm given the circumstances
"woah oh yeah that definitely got punctured.. you're gonna need to burn this bag or something" he said calmly.
"I--"
More excuses had been ready on her tongue, but they died upon hearing his response. He was far too calm about this, and that in itself spoke volumes.
She took a few steps away from him, eyes wide with fear.
"...You... you know something," It was the only way it made sense. "You're-- How do you know about this?"
She didn't dare say it out loud, hanging onto that silk thin thread of hope that somehow she was wrong. That she hadn't just come across another person tied to the dark world she'd been exposed to.
