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ur-favorite-queer-queen · 4 years ago

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School Dance

For Maribat March day 25 theme school dance

Master List

“Now remember class,” Mrs. Davis spoke, “The Father Daughter dance is tomorrow afternoon at 5 till 7, make sure you get your tickets at the booth near the cafeteria.”

“Yes Mrs. Davis.” All the students answered in unison.

Little Charlotte Martha Brown-Wayne walked out of her 4th grade class with her best friend, Faith Couffaine, in tow.

“So Char, are you going to be going to the dance?” Faith asked, her blue eyes locked onto Charlotte.

“I don’t think so Fae.” Charlotte turned so that her brown eyes faced the ground.

“Why not? Me and my dad are going to be there!” Faith exclaimed, fixing her headband that somehow got tangled in her thick black hair.

“Yeah because you have a dad, I don’t think moms are allowed.” Charlotte replied, tucking some stray pieces of her dark brown hair behind her ears.

“Oh please, just bring one of your moms, it’ll be fine!”

“But Fae-” She turned her head to face her best friend.

“No don’t Fae me. I already got my ticket and I know your parents are just waiting for you to ‘remember’,” She used air quotes, “to get yours. You’ll be fine Char, plus isn’t your mom really looking forward to this?” She didn’t wait for her to answer, “Exactly, so I expect to see you there.”

“Fae-”

“Bye Charlotte, you better not leave me hanging!” Was the last thing said before she raced to hug her mom and leave in her limo.

“Ugh, really Faith.” Charlotte then walked to the place where Alfred was always parked in order to pick her up.

“Hello Miss Charlotte, did you have a good day at school?” Alfred questioned as he got out of the car to open the door for her.

“It was fine.”

“Now you’re not forgetting anything are you?” Charlotte froze like a deer in headlights, acting was not her strong suit.

“No?” Neither was lying, just like her maman.

Alfred opened the door for her and she quickly ducked inside, Alfred returned to his seat but didn’t move. He also didn’t lock the doors.

“Miss Charlotte, why do you not want to go to the dance?” A simple question with a complicated answer, at least in her mind.

“Everyone is gonna be there with their dad. I won’t because I don’t have a dad. I would be there with mom, I’d be the outcast.”

“I don’t believe the gender of the parent you bring should matter as long as you have fun.”

“It's called the Father Daughter dance for a reason Alfred.”

“A simple label that should not matter Miss Charlotte.” He thought for a minute, “Tell me Miss Charlotte, will any of your friends care that you bring your mom?”

She thought back to what Faith had been saying the entire week. “No.”

“Will your classmates?”

She thought again, she didn’t interact with her classmates a ton, but none of them seemed to mind the fact that she had 2 moms. “Probably not.”

“Then what is the problem?”

“It's just-I’ll look weird because I’m the only one with my mom. Everyone else will be there with their fathers and I’ll be there with my mother.”

“Like I stated before Miss Charlotte, it matters not the gender of the parent as long as you have fun with them. I have no doubt that some of your classmates will be their fathers but will be miserable.”

Charlotte snapped her head up to look at him, like the mere thought of one of her classmates being miserable with their father at the Father Daughter dance was impossible. But it seemed reasonable, she knew quite a few of her classmates who talked fondly about their mothers but not their fathers. And when the subject of the Father Daughter dance came up, they never participated in the conversations unless asked, and their answers were never enthusiastic. Plus Alfred was always right, that’s what her mom, maman, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandfather taught her.

She nodded her head in determination, opening the car door and saying over her shoulder, “Be right back Alfred!”

She pulled a 5 dollar bill out of her backpack pocket, one that had been haunting her for the past week. She made her way to the cafeteria then to the booth right next to it.

“Hello Charlotte. Here to buy a ticket?” The lady, she’s pretty sure is a fifth grade teacher, asked.

“Yes ma’am.” She handed her the 5 dollar bill and received a small slip of paper in return.

“Remember to show that to the lady who will be at the entrance tomorrow. That’s the only way she’ll let you in. Promise not to lose it?”

“I promise.” She smiled at the woman before racing back to where Alfred was waiting.

“Mom! Maman!” Charlotte called as she entered the manor. Not hearing their voices she assumed they were in the kitchen so she went to her room to drop her backpack off and change into some more comfy clothes.

After changing out of her uniform and into some leggings and a t-shirt she made her way to the kitchen where she found her moms.

Her maman was baking something, probably cookies, while her mom watched her, occasionally handing her ingredients. It wasn’t an uncommon sight for Charlotte, in fact they had family baking days every Sunday. The only hard part was getting their attention, since whenever they baked they were always in their own little world together.

Her eyes caught the frosting that she was guessing her maman had just finished making. Perfect.

She made her way over to the bowl, grabbed the spoon, and took a big bite of the sweet treat. And as predicted,

“Charlotte!”

She turned and there her maman stood staring at her, hands on her hips as she tried to fight the smile off her face. Her mom was trying to hold back her giggling in the background.

“Hi maman. Hi mom.”

“Why are you eating frosting? When you know you’re not allowed.” Her maman gave her a pointed look.

“It was the only way to get your attention.”

“She’s not wrong Nette.” Steph interjected, coming up to stand next to Charlotte. She crouched down so she was at Charlotte’s level, “Did you get the ticket.”

“Yes, it's in my backpack.”

“Ok make sure you don’t lose it. We all know you have your maman’s memory.”

“Hey! My memory is not that bad!” Marinette protested.

“Anymore. We all know what your memory was like when you were younger.” Steph reminded.

“...Fine. I’ll give you that.”

“Can I help frost the cookies?” Charlotte asked.

“Of course my little ladybug. Pinkie promise not to eat any frosting?” Steph held out her pinkie to Charlotte.

“Yes mom!” Charlotte held out her pinkie, returning the promise.

“Charlotte! Are you almost ready!” Steph shouted from outside her room.

“Almost ready mom!” Charlotte replied as she adjusted the golden colored clip in her hair.

“Charlotte you look great.” Marinette came to stand next to her in the mirror.

Charlotte ran her hands down her black and gold dress for the umpteeth time. Whatever she did, something just didn’t look right. But she didn’t know what.

“Something doesn’t look right.”

“I think I have an idea of what might help,” Marinette took a gold necklace off her neck, “Here you go.”

“Wait Maman, isn’t this your favorite necklace.”

“It is, but I think for tonight it’ll look best with you.” Marinette put the necklace around Charlotte’s neck and clipped it in the back. “There, what do you think?”

“I love it,” She turned around and hugged Marinette, “Thank you Maman!”

“Of course my beautiful baby bat. Now don’t keep your mom waiting.”

Charlotte opened the door and met her mom’s face on the other side.

“Well look at you little ladybug, ready to go?” Steph held her arm out to Charlotte.

“Yes mom.” Charlotte took her arm as they headed outside where Alfred was waiting.

They seated themselves in the back of the car when Steph noticed the necklace.

"Charlotte, where did you get that necklace?"

"Maman gave it to me. Do you like it?"

"Yes, very much. It even goes with your dress."

"It kinda goes with your dress too."

"I see, did Maman ever tell you how she got that necklace?"

"No, why?"

"We have arrived Miss Stephanie and Miss Charlotte." Alfred spoke.

"I'll tell you later." Steph promised.

“You better.” Charlotte grumbled as they got out of the car, unsure if her mom actually heard her.

“They’re pretty cute huh?” A man asked Stephanie. Both parents were watching their respective daughters dance together, the two girls forgetting about their parents that sat only a few feet away.

“Adorable. I’m Stephanie, by the way, Charlotte’s mom.” She held her hand out to the man.

“Ethan, Jasmine’s dad.” He returned the handshake.

“I don’t suppose we could arrange some playdates in the future?”

“Of course we can. If I don’t tell Jazzy that she can see her friend again then she’ll have a riot.”

“Well would you look at that! Both of our children have at least one thing in common!”

“Here you can put my number in here.” He slid her his phone.

“And you can put yours in mine.” She handed her phone over.

After putting their information in the other’s phone, they both took their respective phones back and glanced at the names.

“Well Mrs. Brown-Wayne, it seems we will be seeing each other quite a lot in the future.”

“It seems we will Mr. Cook.”

Marinette got a video sent to her later that night. From her lovely wife. She opened up the video to see her daughter dancing with another girl. It seemed she had inherited another one of her traits, the inability to hide her blush.

Marinette giggled to herself as she watched her daughter continue to dance with the unknown girl. It seemed like the other girl was having fun too, if the smile she was wearing and the glow in her eyes told her anything.

The video was followed by a text, ‘I think there will be many more playdates in the future.’

Marinette smiled to herself as she tucked her phone away. Fully planning on getting answers the next day on this mysterious girl who had captured her daughter’s heart. Young love was always so cute to watch.

“Maman?” Charlotte asked as she was being tucked into bed, the night’s events had taken a toll on her. In the comfort of her bed she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Yes my baby bat?” Marinette asked as she sat on her bed.

“Mom never told me how you got that necklace,” She lazily pointed to the necklace that had returned to its original place on Marinette’s neck, “Can you?”

“That’s quite the story, maybe when you're older.”

“Aw, but mom said she would.”

“Did she say she’d tell you later?”

“Uh...yes.”

“When mom says later, she really means not for a long time.”

“Oh…”

“How about about this, in around five years-”

“Five years!”

“Yes, when you're 15, the age I met your mom, I’ll tell you the story.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Pinky promise?” Charlotte held her pinkie out.

“Pinky promise.” Marinette linked her pinky with her daughter’s.

“Okay goodnight Mom.” Charlotte snuggled into the blankets and closed her eyes.

“Goodnight sweetie.” Marinette gave her a light kiss on the forehead.

She made her way out of the room, silently closing the door, before making her way to her and her wife’s bedroom. She entered and heard her wife getting ready in the bathroom so she sat down on the bed and waited.

She didn’t have to wait long as only a few minutes later her wife came out of the bathroom and sat down with her on the bed.

“Hey what’s on your mind?” Steph asked as Marinette laid her head on her shoulder. Her hand subconsciously fiddling with the gold necklace that sat on her neck.

“Did you tell Charlotte that you would tell her the story of how you got me the necklace?” Marinette got straight to the point, she had learned that sometimes it was much better than beating around the bush.

“Maybe.”

“Stephanie.”

“What! She asked and-”

“You should know better! The necklace has to do with how we met!”

“Yeah but-”

“No buts! You know we didn’t meet the most child friendly way!”

“I know, I just thought that she would forget about it after the dance.”

“I told her I would tell her when she turns 15, now she’s going to be counting down the days till then.”

“I’m sorry Nette.”

“It’s okay Steph, I just wish we had a little time before she knew.”

“She was going to find out eventually, at least now we have a date to prepare ourselves.”

Marinette’s mind went back to a time where her only worries were what to wear for her next date with Stephanie. Where she didn’t have to worry about her best friend dying, or the grief that followed.

“Come on let’s not worry about it tonight.” Steph brought her out of her stupor.

“Yeah, goodnight Steph.”

“Goodnight Nette.”

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You have literally no idea how long this took me to write. There will be part 2, I kinda left you guys hanging, but that won’t be for a long time. Anyways I do hope that you enjoyed, like I said in day 24 of Maribat March, Story, I will be posting 2 of these each time I come back from the dead. Now I am going to go finish school work so I don’t fail! Who knows when you’ll see me next?

@maribatmarch-2k21

#maribat #maribatmarch2021 #maribat march #stephanie x marinette #they have a kid #cliffhanger #there will be a part 2 #eventually

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meltwonu · 5 years ago

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| caffeine | [chapter 5]

pairing; fratboy!wonwoo x female!reader

this chapter’s notes; oral(male receiving), face-fucking, hair pulling, some name calling, masturbation, minor panty sniffing. 😈🥴Much like SE this doesn’t follow any of the drabble game posts/blurbs that precede it otherwise it also wouldnt make sense jkfhksh there are some similar plot points as one of the posts i made but its not directly related! 💕💕A bit of a shorter chapter this week but thank you for your continued interest~💕💕💕

chapters; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - x - x - x - x - x

True to your word, you find yourself at a SVT House party a few days later.

You wonder how any of them can even deal with the amount of people currently crammed into every square foot of the big house because you can barely keep it together. Minghao is nowhere to be seen, obvious. And Mingyu currently towers over everyone else in the kitchen where you stand; pouring liquor straight into Jihoon’s mouth. You raise an eyebrow at the sight, taking a sip of your own cup before you turn to exit the bustling kitchen.

It wasn’t that you were a prude or hated parties; it was more-so the crowd that really turned you off. Also the fact that SVT parties usually only ended when the law enforcement swung by and you typically did not want to be around when and if that happened. You really had to know how Minghao dealt with this.

“Whoa there baby, not so fast!”

An arm wraps around your waist and tugs you into their warm chest and you immediately spin around in their hold to see who the culprit is. “Um, can I help you?” He was definitely taller than you, had a beaming smile, and cute mole on his cheek.

“Yeah! You almost left without introducing yourself to me, cutie~”

There’s a laugh on his lips after and if you weren’t already involved with someone from SVT House, this guy would’ve definitely been your pick. “Why should I go first? You’re the one with your hands on me.” To your surprise, he lets go of you, backing up slightly to give you some space.

“Oops, sorry, haha, you’re right! My name’s Seokmin.” He smiles at you, extending a hand towards you which you take as you introduce yourself. “That’s a cute name! Say, you wanna get out of here?” You try to refrain from laughing, of course that was his goal. “It depends, where are you tryin’ to take me?” His smile turns into a smirk, eyes smoldering as he peers down at you. “Hmm, guess it depends where you wanna go? There’s a lot of rooms in this house, cutie. And I can take you to any of them.”

It’s at this exact moment you realize that everyone that’s part of SVT House apparently takes a course in flirting. “What do you say, baby? I could show you somethin’ new, if you’d like.”

“Actually, I think I have to have a word with her.”

The familiar voice has you turning to your side, meeting Wonwoo’s inquisitive stare as he brings his own cup to his lips. “Oh… okay. Nevermind! It was nice meeting you though!” Seokmin shares a look with Wonwoo before leaving, a pout on his lips before he exits.

“Wow, didn’t think I’d actually run into you here Wonwoo.”

The said male smirks, placing his empty cup down on the cluttered countertop before he starts to push you out of the kitchen and into the hallway. There’s a few people scattered about in the tight space, but thankfully more empty than the kitchen had been.

“I live here. Why wouldn’t I be here, princess?”

“I mean, Minghao tells me he usually stays in his room when you guys have parties… I just assumed you were the same or something.”

Wonwoo leads you to a restroom in the hallway, gently pushing you in before he turns to lock the door. “Oh? Think I’m a goody two shoes even after everything I’ve done to you? You’re too kind, sweetheart.” He backs you into the countertop, arms caging you in as he stares down at you.

“No, I never said that. Trust me, I know you’re not.”

Wonwoo tells you that his room is off limits when you ask. That it’s a luxury you need to earn before he takes you there. You pout at him at first, but you accept it for what it is. For now.

Instead, he pushes you down onto your knees, hands immediately flying to the waistband of his jeans to undo the button. You watch him, hands already behind your back as you try to get as comfortable as you could with the rug digging into your kneecaps.

“Your little show the other day was real cute, princess. We should do that more often when you don’t show up to see me. I always miss your tight cunt, baby.”

You nod up at him, eyes focused on his half hard cock coming into view when he pushes his jeans and underwear down enough. “But for now, I want you to suck me off with that slutty ‘lil mouth of yours. And no hands.”

“Yes, sir.”

Wonwoo guides his cock to your mouth, tapping the head of it on your cheek before he drags it across to your lips. You part your lips, welcoming his cock into your mouth as you begin sucking on the head. Groans spill out of his mouth as he watches you; his left hand still guiding his cock into your mouth as his right hand goes straight for your hair. He threads his fingertips through your hair, pulling on it enough to get you moaning around him.

Little by little, you take more and more of Wonwoo’s cock into your mouth until he’s deep throating you. And you can feel him getting harder and harder in your mouth as you hollow out your cheeks around him.

“Fuck, your mouth is so fucking small… You’re so good at sucking my cock.”

By now, he already has both of his hands in your hair, holding you still as he thrusts into your mouth. You rub your thighs together, moaning around him when you feel how wet you are. “Mmh, I know how much you want me to take you upstairs and fuck your pretty cunt open. You only get that if you’re a good girl, y’know?” He lets out a heartless laugh, continuing to use your mouth to get off.

You whimper around him, eyes teary as you look up at him. “Oh, I know, sweetheart. We’ll get to that eventually.” He thrusts into your mouth particularly hard as you sputter around him. You know for sure you already look like a complete mess, eye makeup smeared and spit and precum dribbling down your chin. There’s a vague noise which sounds like knocking coming from the other side of the door and it reminds you that there’s an entire crowd of people just outside.

“Baby, I’m gonna cum in your mouth. Be good and swallow it all for me, okay?” You nod slightly, relaxing your throat as he picks up the pace; the hands tangled in your hair tighter than before.

The knocking gets quicker and louder just as Wonwoo cums, a faint ringing in your ears as you swallow down all of the warm liquid. You can feel some of it dripping down your chin as he continues to shallowly thrust into your mouth, riding out his orgasm.

He lets go of your hair as he braces himself on the countertop above you, catching his breath as he stares down at you. You finally use your hands to brace yourself against his thighs, cleaning his cock with your mouth.

“Such a good girl, sweetheart.” Your throat feels impossibly sore; giving Wonwoo head after drinking earlier was probably not the best idea. “T-thank you, sir…”

“Hey! What the fuck is going on in there!?”

Right. The knocking.

Wonwoo gives you enough space to stand, legs shaky as you try to wipe off the cum drying on your chin while simultaneously trying to smooth down your messy hair. He tucks himself back into his underwear before he zips his jeans up, looking just as normal as ever. You check yourself in the mirror, only to find your lips swollen and eyes red from crying. There’s no way whoever is on the other side of the door won’t know; you just hope they’re too drunk to notice.

Despite the knocking, Wonwoo cages you against the sink again, tilting your head up to meet him in a searing kiss. It tastes like alcohol and cum, but he doesn't seem to mind. He drags a hand up your naked thigh, pushing the skirt you were wearing up until he can run his fingertips over your covered slit.

When he breaks away from the kiss, his lips ghost over yours, a smirk on the edge of them. “Take off your panties for me.”

“H-huh?”

“I can feel how wet they are and I want them.”

You decide to let him, letting him drag the wet material down your thighs until you step out of them. He brings the soaked material to his face before smelling them, moaning as he does. Wonwoo pockets them right after, just as the knocking becomes unbearable.

When Wonwoo thinks you’re decent, he sidesteps you to open the door, revealing Seokmin on the other side.

“Fuck, are you serious? Should’ve just said you had dibs, bro. Anyway, party’s over man, someone broke Soonyoung’s gundam in the living room and he’s raising hell and jumping onto the tabletops. I think they need you.” Wonwoo doesn’t reply, instead wrapping a hand around your wrist as he drags you out of the restroom and back into the hallway.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Guess we’ll have to continue this another time.” You watch as he turns and starts walking away, surely to take care of whatever is going on in the living room. The stickiness between your legs is unbearable now that there wasn’t anything keeping it inside your panties, but you just need to get home so you can take care of it. Leaving yourself a mental note to send pics of yourself to Wonwoo later. He’d surely punish you for touching yourself without his permission, but you’d deal with that later.

“Hey, you gonna be okay? It’s kinda late to walk back. But I can walk you back if you want?” Seokmin comes up behind you, arm braced against the wall.

“Huh? No, it’s okay. I’ll, um, get a taxi or something. It’s not that far.”

“Okay. Might wanna text your dick appointment when you get in, though. That guy may not seem like it but he worries.”

That night when you get in, it’s a quick race to get undressed before your legs are spread on your bed.

Your idea of letting Wonwoo know you’re fine is sending him pictures of your state of undress and videos of you thrusting your dildo into your wet pussy. You even take the time to send him some audio clips where he can hear your whimpers and your wetness while you play with your toy.

You imagine it’s Wonwoo’s hands all over your body and Wonwoo’s cock deep inside of you. You even take the time to edge yourself twice; imagining it’s him making you whine and wait. His deep laugh and filthy praise on your mind when you cum hard; back bowing off the sheets as you cry out.

There’s a satisfied sigh on your lips when you slide the toy from inside of you, tiredness settling in when you sit up to get cleaned off. Getting off alone was fine, but it definitely wasn’t the same as actually fucking Wonwoo.

You were definitely going to the library tomorrow.

#fratboy!wonwoo #wonwoo smut #svt smut #seventeen smut #wonwoo scenarios #wonwoo imagines #seventeen imagines #svt imagines #seventeen scenarios #svt scenarios

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reallyhardy · 4 years ago

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regent’s open air theatre LSOH (2018) breakdown

act two. continuing on from [this post about act one!]

after the intermission they went back into mushnik’s for ‘call back in the morning’ which featured the ensemble in the number with a bunch of telephones kind of tangling/tying up audrey and seymour with them, but by the end they’d all been disentangled - it looked so chaotic i was so impressed with how well organised it was to free them by the end of the song :’) found a backstage clip showing some ensemble members from this scene:

then it was time for more heartbreak!!! the scene where seymour shows audrey his leather jacket. i kinda loved the jacket itself tbh, it had all this fringe on the back and sleeves (which was another visual call to audrey ii in drag queen form, who wears a jacket with chain “fringe” on the sleeves) and there was a rhinestone plant and ‘seymour’ written in rhinestones. but of course audrey is horrified and backed herself up against the wall and started crying and after seymour threw the jacket away they go into suddenly seymour which was done quite sweetly - seymour handed her his ‘kleenex’ (but it was a wet wipe because she actually did take off her lipstick with it)

ALSO notably there to cast a sinister light on the emotional moment - the mushnik’s shop rotates to reveal the audrey ii plant, which was grinning behind audrey and seymour as they hug at the end of the song. LOVED THIS extremely ominous the fact that the plant was smiling evilly behind them was just chef’s kiss things are about to go horribly wrong.

but anyway. now that seymour and audrey are ‘official’ they kiss!!! kind of. it was more like… seymour leaned in and kissed her nose and then sort of…slid his face down kind of towards her mouth??? it was so awkward but...v cute :’)

and of course now that we’re in act ii things are going a little worse and it’s definitely showing on seymour, who has not been beaming nearly so much and looks pretty stressed out and upset a lot of the time. by suppertime he’s freaking out and looks genuinely so mad and angry with himself when mushnik gets eaten by the plant: which was done by having the plant mouth open, mushnik step inside, and then drag queen audrey ii step up behind and attack while vines close in, and then the mouth closes up:

i think... there was more of audrey ii trying to be flirtatious with seymour either before or after this, but he is much more disgusted by it and doesn’t have to try to snap himself out of it:

(note by this point audrey ii’s wig no longer resembles OG audrey’s, and by now seymour hates her guts.) this continues into ‘the meek shall inherit’ and i loved the staging of this one because the ensemble are still in black-and-white but now wearing these pink-green gloves with pointy ends (so they look like audrey ii’s vines) and they had vines extending out from the scenery/props too, all closing in on seymour who’s freaking out even more.

in this one matt willis made multiple quick changes to play all the different characters trying to buy seymour/the plant, and he was brill each time (this wasn’t all of the looks but it was all i could find from the show trailer:)

oh, and when it came to the “then there’s audrey” part of the song, seymour takes the kleenex from suddenly seymour out of his pocket.

so seymour plots to try and kill audrey ii by grabbing a bunch of weapons (and tying a green rambo-style headband around his head) but before he can get to it audrey comes in with her seymour-costume!!! (she was even shorter next to seymour then because she was wearing converse instead of heels) and argghhh it was just so cute!!! and the sweater she put on was the one she had to come back for during ‘feed me’ which was a cute touch.

(i could only find a design sketch for the main actress in that costume, but did also find her understudy rosalind james in the same outfit.) then... sadness again though because then they go into the ‘would you still like me/i’d still love you’ scene. ‘somewhere that’s green’ plays instrumental while seymour promises he’ll find them a better life. they do their adorable little awkward kiss again and then audrey leaves.

heading toward the end then into suppertime reprise/sominex, and then the confrontation… the whole time me knowing what’s coming i was just like audrey don’t but then of course…audrey does. (also she had another costume change, this time into a half-blue-half-pink nightdress with a transparent pink raincoat on top.)

she steps into the plant ‘mouth’ and audrey ii bites her neck vampire style (so there’s no doubt that she has been wounded, no “she just fell asleep because of the sominex” theory here,) before seymour can get her out.

somewhere that’s green reprise of course i was crying again – the actress kind of played the ‘when i die, which should be very shortly’ line for funnies rather than sincerely BUT. then she went into the reprise and ohhh my god i was so sad watching seymour hold her. i noticed they never really properly kissed on the mouth (because seymour’s bad at kissing) but he was really desperately hugging her and shaking and kissing her all over on her shoulders and her hands and it was DEVASTATING.

after audrey dies seymour kept crying her name which was…i thought a bit much but sure, why not. he was sad. then he carried her to the plant and she stood up and walked backwards so they were looking at each other as she went into the plant’s “mouth” and he held onto her hands as long as he could. (this time there were no vines and the drag queen version of audrey ii wasn’t there either so it was more of an emotional parting than watching a violent/comical death.)

after that seymour tries to kill the plant (drag queen audrey ii was standing above, on top of the mushnik store prop) so he shot at her first with his halloween prop gun and then tossed the boxes of rat poison into the plant mouth, and then of course charged into the mouth and the vines are back and grab and crush him and then he’s dead. RIP that silly fool who i loved.

then it’s don’t feed the plants! the urchins come out and are wearing new outfits and open the number…

then there was the ‘characters come back onstage as plant buds’ version of the ending, but oh my god. this was so much fun i loved it so much. mushnik, orin, audrey and seymour dash out of the plant opening wearing audrey ii-ified costumes and!!! it was amazing. mushnik was in a sparkly green sequin jacket and kilt, orin was wearing his black combat boots and a sequin minidress, audrey was wearing a big poofy 1950s-ish (you know, because of her somewhere thats green dreams) pink-and-blue dress with flowers and little white gloves (and still her glasses) (and i remember as she ran out on stage she mouthed WHAT THE FUCK lmao) and seymour’s was this big puffy clown suit (probably because…he’s kind of a fool) over his blue shirt (now with sparkly red blood on it, implying that his arms/legs have been eaten) and all the ensemble also had similar crazy plant looks, very flytrap with a lot of teeth and big floppy tongues.

seymour and audrey had the little ‘we’ll have tomorrow’ line too which made my LSOH-obsessed ass get tearful again too - they grabbed each others hands for it and !!! my emotions.

there were a few bows after that but then audrey ii interrupted and was like wait we ain’t finished!!! and they did mean green mother from outer space as this huge dance number which was extremely fun. this finale was very similar to how the spongebob musical ends - after the song they tossed huge green beach balls into the audience and had a huge confetti cannon explosion. of course i went nuts for it lmao. and the best part is that THERE IS A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE:

youtube

and then it was over. iirc it took a total 10 hours for my sister travelling there and back in on day, but it was 1000% worth it!!! next post: gonna look at costumes in detail!!!

#little shop of horrors #LSOH #regent's park open air theatre #long post #flashing gif cw

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ambitionsource · 4 years ago

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AMBITION Season 1 ♫ “First Impressions (Pilot)” REVAMPED [ 1.01 ]

CREATED BY Esther (rapunzles) & Maggie (quincywillows)

When we first wrote the pilot, we were just throwing it out there, seeing what would happen. It was a first draft. Our own new start. It’s been a long time since then.

And oh, how much has happened. So many awesome things.

This, I hope, is closer to the pilot AAA always deserved. Thanks for reading, and for whatever awesome things come next.

50 Minutes (10K words) || No warnings apply. || [ S1 Synopsis ] || [ AO3 ]

( Follow along with the music on Spotify here! )

EXT. AAA - DAY

Regal. That’s the impression this institution gives off at first glance, a Smithsonian-esque exterior standing out amidst the grey concrete jungle of Manhattan. A wide shot provides a picturesque view of the structure from above, when slowly a title card appears on the screen:

Adams Academy of the Arts.

In a fluid motion, the words dissolve and condense together, leaving only a logo of three As in red, gold, and white.

AAA.

By now, it’s pretty clear we’re watching an advert of some kind. Especially when we transition…

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

… to the principal’s office. JACKSON “JACK” HUNTER (40s), a sharply dressed and calmly confident man, is seated at the mahogany desk with his hands clasped together in front of him. He offers the camera a pleasant smile, addressing us directly.

Jack: Hi. I’m Jack Hunter, the principal of Adams Academy of the Arts. If you’re watching this video, then it’s likely you’re considering applying to our elite program for high school students. Well, either that, or you’re very lost.

Administrator humor. Jack chuckles, pauses, and continues in his professional tone.

Jack: If it’s the former, then I’m happy to be of assistance. Adams is at the forefront of performing arts education, and many of our alumni have gone on to do amazing things -- some of whom you might even recognize. While we strongly emphasize the important balance of academics with your professional goals, there is nothing more paramount than providing you, an artist on the rise, with the space to explore your potential, build your skills, and put you on the path towards success.

As Jack continues to discuss, quick panning shots of the interior of the school set the scene. It’s very clearly a promotional video, the tone upbeat and inspiring. Jack describes the facilities they have (two whole auditoriums, state of the art technical equipment, numerous practice rooms and studios), as well as the different core focuses a student can pursue -- music, performance, dance. He emphasizes their technical education program, one of the leading curriculums in the state that provides their budding technicians with hands-on experience right from the get-go.

When we cut back to Jack, still pleasantly seated behind the desk, he begins to get into what the day-to-day process of a student is like, and how this crop of students is chosen.

Jack: Every year, just about 50 students -- split into two cohorts, allowing for even more individualized instruction -- enter the halls of AAA as the freshman class. These incoming artists have talent, dedication, discipline, and above all? Ambition. These students, like you, seek out the opportunities to achieve whatever their driving passion might be -- whatever it takes. While here, they’ll hone their craft, explore the other realms of their field, learn from one another as well as highly skilled educators, and form bonds that they will carry with them for life.

All sounds swell. Jack smiles wider.

Jack: As for what this experience is like, well -- how about I let them show you?

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

This launches a quick-cut, exciting montage of what the world of Adams seems to be like. It’s full of photos, clips, and candids of the students hard at work. Performers learning choreography, soloists in the midst of a final performance, stage lights bright. Technicians piecing together sets, stage managers with headsets around their neck and thoughtful expressions, coaches and teachers lecturing to an engaged group in the black box theater.

Above all, there is a clear sense of community. All of the students are thrilled to be there, working hard, laughing and smiling with one another. While the slideshow is mainly filled with upperclassmen, there are a few faces here and there that will soon become quite familiar to us.

Sure seems like a dream high school experience, particularly for someone interested in the arts. Especially for someone who feels like an outsider, a creative, looking for a place to belong.

Jack, voiceover: The competition is fierce, and the process isn’t easy. It’s work, hard work, but any passion worth pursuing takes a little faith and a whole lot of elbow grease. The best of the best make their way to Adams, and without a doubt, the best emerge from it ready to take on the world.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

The video is wrapping up, Jack looking as confident as ever. He’s just shown us a pretty gleaming example of a school, and he looks pretty stalwart and shining himself.

Jack: The question is, where do the best of the best come from? Who has what it takes to join our elite and excellent rank of future artists? [ a beat ] Do you?

As the upbeat tones of David Bowie fade in...

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - RILEY’S BEDROOM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Changes” as performed by David Bowie and Butterfly Boucher || Performed by Riley Matthews & Jack Hunter

An alarm goes off, a hand reaching out and hitting it off immediately. RILEY MATTHEWS (15) lays in bed, already awake and staring at the ceiling. From how anxious she looks, it seems like she hasn’t slept much at all. But then, she smiles, forcing herself to focus on the excitement.

This is going to be the day everything changes for the better. She launches out of bed, hitting play on her phone. Underneath the track, playing “Changes,” we see a reminder on her homescreen. It’s bright over a photo of her and her younger brother, neither parent featured.

First day of new school!!

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - BATHROOM - DAY

As Riley gets ready for school, she sings along to the first verse. She braids her hair, puts on her nicest, most distinct outfit, before running out the door.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - DAY

She says goodbye to her mother TOPANGA LAWRENCE (late 30s), kisses her younger brother AUGGIE MATTHEWS (8) on the top of the head. When she reaches her father waiting at the door, CORY MATTHEWS (late 30s), the two of them exchange excited grins before heading out the door together.

EXT. AAA - DAY

The two of them emerge from the nearest subway stop, and Riley gets her first good look at Adams Academy for the Arts. It’s a beautiful and daunting marble building nestled in the middle of the Upper East Side. Visualize the MET, but with the flourish and slight humble nature of a high school (although humble is not a word one would use to describe this school). It’s even more impressive in person, looming over her, than as shown in the opening video.

Cory is already on his way up the steps, but Riley hangs back, staring up at the building in awe. Somewhat overwhelmed. Students pass her by on their way inside, many far better dressed. This is a school where much of the student population is probably worth more than the school itself.

This is it. Her opportunity. Does she have what it takes?

Gearing herself up, Riley jogs her way up the steps after her father. Panning towards the school, through the atrium and across the main offices…

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Meanwhile, Jack Hunter is in his office preparing for her arrival. He’s still well-groomed, clearly an instrument of discipline and order, but he seems more harried than he did on camera. Reality versus the polished quality of promotional material.

Jack wanders his way over to the window, looking out at the students making their way into school. He carries the second verse, lamenting how things never change and students are… not so willing to listen to reason (“They’re immune to your consultations / They’re quite aware what they’re going through…”)

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

As Jack heads out of his office to walk the halls before the school day truly kicks off, Riley is making her way through them as well. This is our first glimpse into the hallowed halls of Adams, as well as the cast of large personalities we’re about to spend a series with…

Riley has to duck around ZAY BABINEAUX (15), a lithe and groovy dance student with a clear sense of self and an even clearer sense of style. He’s rehearsing with other dancers in the middle of the hallway. Nearby, CHARLIE GARDNER (15) is holding court with a lot of the girls in the class, seemingly the preferred cute male of choice at AAA. He’s the full package -- fluffy hair, pressed polo shirt, charming grin.

As Riley passes him, he eyes her and gives her a smile. Friendly, or flirtatious? Who’s to say…

For Jack, it’s evident as he walks the halls just how incongruous he is with the scenery. He’s passionate about AAA, sure, but his straight-laced and stern approach contrasts sharply with the energy, colorfulness, and folly of the students themselves. His presence is enough to pry two kissing classmates away from one another, and he earns more than a few derisive glares from students as he goes.

MAYA HART (16) is parading the halls with her clones DARBY WINTERS (15) and SARAH CARLSON (15), rambling on about some performance-related complaint. Maya is a girl with a brand -- she is the most glamorous girl Riley has ever seen, from the glossy blonde hair to the perfectly put together outfit that looks entirely made of brand-name items. They don’t even notice Riley, practically bulldozing past her without an apology.

A gangly student is arguing animatedly with ANGELA MOORE (30s), the performing arts teacher for the sophomores, outside the black box theater classroom. Angela was featured in the promotional video, but she seems way less confident now trying to tangle with this overzealous student. This is FARKLE MINKUS (15), Jewish American diva. He’s immediately identifiable as over-the-top, both with the way he’s arguing with a teacher and his swoopy hair and blazer. Like, this kid is wearing a blazer to school.

We can tell right away that Mister Farkle Minkus is going to be a PIECE. OF. WORK. Riley can too, raising her eyebrows as she passes by their disagreement.

Jack passes by Zay and his crop of dancing students, disbanding them as dancing is not allowed in the halls. Come on, they know this! The group of them don’t look very pleased, Zay tossing a scowl over his shoulder as they retreat to their respective homerooms.

INT. AAA - ATRIUM - DAY

As we get to “Strange fascination fascinating me…” Riley passes by the atrium stairwell, where the sophomore techies always congregate each morning. They’re all in dark clothes (because that’s how techies dress, but so do GOTHS???), and seem like a chaotic bunch. DAVE WILLIAMS (15) and ASHER GARCIA (14) are lobbing food at DYLAN ORLANDO (15) to see what he can catch in his mouth. NATE MARTINEZ (15) and JEFF MONROE (15) are arguing heatedly about something, but it’s impossible to tell if they’re actually upset or not. JADE BEAMON (15) is sketching in a notebook, occasionally looking up to roll her eyes at the argument.

Holding first position at the bottom of the stairs are LUCAS JAMES FRIAR (16) and ISADORA DE LA CRUZ (15), deep in conversation. Well, conversation meaning Isadora is ranting, and Lucas isn’t saying much of anything. They’re both the most intimidating of the bunch even from a glance -- Isadora due to her intense wardrobe and general aura of authority, Lucas due to his seemingly permanent disdainful expression… and maybe the fact that he is openly playing with a switchblade.

Of course, they both look up to find Riles staring at them. She makes eye contact with Lucas before quickly turning away. I mean, they’ve got a switchblade. Scary! She YEETS outta there.

Just in time to make it back to the front office, where she steps inside just as Jack steps out of his office. He offers her a smile.

Jack: Hi, Miss Matthews. Welcome to Adams Academy of the Arts.

Taking a deep breath, she returns his smile. Welcome to Adams, indeed. And, for the first time…

AMBITION. Cue title sequence.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Jack walks Riley through everything she might need to know, explaining her daily schedule and handing over welcome materials. As they’re conversing, ERIC MATTHEWS (40s) steps in as acting counselor to also give a welcome to Riley -- but it’s clear that they already know each other. She’s his niece!

As they exchange friendly banter, Jack doesn’t seem at all surprised. He makes a comment about how the Matthews family really does have a foothold in Adams, given that Riley’s father is also one of their core academic teachers. Eric doesn’t take well to Jack’s tone, cheerfully firing back a remark.

Eric: Well, I suppose Triple A has always been about family. That’s why you hired Shawn, right? Top of the line, highly skilled educators…

It’s clear that there’s some tension behind their words, at least that it seems like Jack and Eric are rarely on the same page. Riley picks up on this right quick, awkwardly looking down at her welcome materials. Jack changes the subject, suggesting that Riley head off to performance lab before they get any further derailed. After all, Eric does just love to meander time away...

Eric smiles, but it’s sharp. Rather than returning a backhanded jab, he offers to show Riley to her first class. As they’re heading out, Jack assures Riley that he’s certain she’ll find what she’s looking for at Adams.

She certainly hopes so, Jack. And away they go...

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Riley enters the auditorium, where a majority of the classes will be held. Many of the students in the sophomore A class cohort are already assembled in the first few rows of the audience, eagerly conversing with one another and catching up from the end of summer. The techies are situated further back, with their feet up on the backs of chairs and hardly paying attention.

Already, Riley is feeling the struggle of finding a place to fit. She plops herself alone in a row somewhere between the chatty performers and brooding techies, isolated from day one. Hooray.

From behind her, Dave turns around to whisper something to Dylan and Asher about her sitting alone. Lucas is also watching her, somewhat amused at how uncertain she seems about the whole situation.

Angela saunters to the front of the stage, snapping them to attention and welcoming them back for another year. She gives a rousing speech about how this year is going to be more intense than the first, but also full of self-discovery, pushing our comfort zones, and more than anything, becoming better artists. Maya, Zay, and Farkle all listen with rapt interest. Isadora rolls her eyes.

Just as she’s reaching the climactic conclusion of her monologue, she’s interrupted by SHAWN HUNTER (30s), stumbling in ten minutes late to his own class. He’s unshaven, clearly a bit of a mess, and dressed far less impressively than Angela or a majority of their students. Riley raises her eyebrows, obviously confused by his presence.

Angela: [ with biting sarcasm ] And there he is. My wonderful co-instructor, right on time.

At this, Riley’s eyebrows shoot up. Co-instructor? That guy? The rest of the performers seem equally unimpressed, a few rolling their eyes or exchanging grimaces. The techies are amused, grinning as their lead technician fumbles to the stage.

Angela: Anything you care to share with the class before we kick off our second year, Mister Hunter? Any sudden stroke of wisdom? Or basic decency?

Shawn jogs up, coming to an out of breath stand-still next to her. Side by side, the contrast between them is even more pronounced. He shrugs, half-smirking.

Shawn: Sing some stuff?

In mocking solidarity, the techies erupt into cheers. Dave and Dylan give him a standing ovation. The performers look annoyed. Farkle turns around to glare at them.

Riley is taking all of this with marked confusion. Shawn takes a sarcastic bow.

Angela, sharply: Classy as always.

For their first performing assignment of the year, Angela encourages all of them to come up and sing whatever they’ve been working on this past summer. Innocent enough. When she asks who wants to go first, however, the front of the auditorium erupts as Zay, Maya, and Farkle all leap to their feet and scrap to get to the stage first. Riley is like… what on Earth.

Farkle succeeds, yanking Zay out of the way and scrambling onto the front of the stage (they didn’t even take the fucking stairs). The clear victor, Farkle jumps back to his full height triumphantly as Maya and Zay begrudgingly return to their seats.

Farkle begins a little monologue as he adjusts his blazer, establishing his personality loud and clear. As far as he’s concerned, this year is going to be about change, and the change is going to be him taking his rightful place as the undisputed Star of the Sophomores. Maya and Zay clearly don’t agree with this assessment, so there’s already guaranteed to be drama. Lovely…

Thusly, Farkle launches into his first performance of the year (and the series).

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Man About Town” as performed by Young Frankenstein Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Farkle Minkus

Farkle kicks us off with a bold and frenzied rendition of the Broadway tune. As with many of the performances in this pilot, the solos serve to establish a baseline for each of the characters and their inherent capabilities, style, and tone. Farkle is a power tenor without a doubt, able to reach pretty high in his register and even higher in energetic delivery.

The electricity in his performance is less intrinsic and more frantic, though, indicative of a craving for the spotlight and a scrappy determined nature to maintain it at whatever cost. It demonstrates his undeniable vocal skill, for sure, but also his capacity to be obnoxious. The song seems to speak to what Farkle is hoping will be his truth -- that everyone will take notice of him, pay attention to him, that he’ll rise to the stars like he feels he’s been destined.

Riley is stunned by the amount of talent already on display. If she wants to prove that she’s here by her own merit and talent rather than just because her father works here, then she is going to have to bring it.

INT. AAA - GIRLS DRESSING ROOM - DAY

Maya and her clones hang out in the girls dressing room, getting ready for the rest of performance lab. Sarah points out that Farkle has gotten better over the summer; Darby mentions he’s gotten cuter, too.

Sarah, in disgust: Minkus? You’re joking.

Darby: Come on. He’s sort of cute!

Maya: Sure. Like a hedgehog with a deadly case of rabies.

Darby: He got taller. He looks sharper now, more mature.

Sarah: He looks like Mike Teavee in Willy Wonka after he got put through the taffy puller.

Darby: No he doesn’t!

Sarah: God, you fall for anything with testosterone and half a working vocal chord…

Quickly losing interest in discussing boys -- especially Farkle Minkus -- Maya waves off their concern about his talent. She claims she’s going to blow him out of the water, and this year is far from belonging to him.

The rivalry is loud and clear.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

Riley comes by to visit Eric, who eagerly greets her and situates her in the chair opposite his desk. It’s a cozy, comfortable office, far less clinical, but also less organized, than Jack’s. It’s evident why many students feel comfortable stopping in when they have a free moment. Eric jokingly points out this is their first official visit as counselor and student, before he asks her how the morning went and how she’s feeling about the school.

Riley avoids her own discomfort and feelings of disillusionment by asking Eric to tell her more about the other students instead. How is she supposed to catch up to the scenery and feel like she’s in the loop if everyone feels like a mystery? Eric agrees, trying to figure out the best way to go about explaining it to her.

Eric: Kind of feels like having to explain the history of the universe. There’s a lot of personality in the A class, you’ll find.

Riley: Oh, I got that sense pretty quickly.

An idea strikes Eric, expression brightening. He grabs his yearbook from the previous school year off the shelf behind him. As he plops it down onto the desk, he instructs Riley to pay close attention, because there is a lot to unpack.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “High School Never Ends” as performed by Bowling for Soup || Instrumental

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

As Eric talks Riley through each of the main players, we watch a typical sophomore class unfold in the auditorium. It’s pure chaos, a whirlwind of production and performers getting in the way of techies and people butting heads.

We cut between this simulated auditorium sequence and Riley and Eric talking in the office, falling into a rhythm with the classic bopping rock tune. As Eric jumps to each key student, we freeze on them in the midst of whatever they’re doing at the time.

Starting, notably, with Zay Babineaux, the dancer from the halls. The screen freeze frames on him in the midst of trying to teach choreography to a frazzled NICK YOGI (15) and CLARISSA CRUZ (15).

Eric: Zay Babineaux isn’t a bad person to keep tabs on as far as getting your sea legs around here. He was voted “Most Popular” in the yearbook last year, but the only thing he cares about more than his public approval rating is dance. I mean, the kid is religious about it. It’s part of the reason he’s so good, but that and his drive to make it are what bump him up to Diva status.

Riley: Diva status.

Eric: It’s a whole league of its own here. Everyone is driven to a certain degree -- you have to be at Triple A -- but the Divas are the ones you really need to watch out for. Zay is far from the worst of the bunch, but his dedication really puts a sharp edge on his otherwise personable presence.

The scene resumes, panning from Yogi and Clarissa struggling to learn to Charlie leading the same choreography with a gaggle of female classmates. This includes HALEY FISHER (15), who seems especially taken with him.

Charlie demonstrates much better patience than Zay in teaching others, but the girls aren’t really listening to what he’s saying. They’re more distracted by… other things he has to offer.

Eric: If you’re stuck on choreography and actually want help, then your best bet is to turn to Charlie Gardner instead. He’s incredibly well-mannered, genuinely nice kid, but I’m sure your dad would want me to warn you he does have a reputation with the ladies.

Riley: Does he date a lot of them?

Eric: To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him date anyone. But every girl wishes he would, so that’s kind of a heartbreaker move all its own, isn’t it? Still, I wouldn’t worry too much about that. If you’re looking for what to avoid…

Isadora marches across the stage, headset around her neck and show binder in her arms. She’s shouting orders, almost comically deafening Dave following behind her.

Eric: Don’t get in the way of Isadora Smackle while she’s in stage manager mode. That girl is five feet of pure unadulterated power, and she is not afraid to burn you and your ego to the ground.

Riley: Not much to burn for me.

Eric: Don’t get me wrong, she is incredibly talented. She’s got a vision like no one else, and it’s hard not to admire how passionate she is about seeing that vision come to fruition. She’s just… not fond of things that slow that process down. Like not following directions, or creating issues that don’t exist. And the queen of doing that…

Maya storms out of the dressing room hall and storms onto the stage, holding up a costume choice and obviously having much to say about it. She’s in the midst of diva transformation, makeup more glamorous than before and glossy blonde hair up out of her face.

Eric: Is Maya Hart. Now, Maya is probably the most talented triple threat we have in the sophomore class. She can dance, she can act, and by God, can she sing. But she also has an unbridled sense of what’s best for a production, and will happily fight every single person necessary until her voice is heard. She’s in hot pursuit of her dream, for better or worse, and she is ruthless.

Maya marches past the techies, Asher and Jade scrambling to get out of her way and avoid her fury. She nearly knocks Nate and Dylan into the wall while they’re carrying a two-by-four beam, which almost hits Lucas in the head. He ducks just in time. As he’s getting back up, we freeze on him mid-eye roll and looking just about ready to kill.

Eric: And whatever you do, do not mess with Lucas James Friar. If your dad were here, he’d tell you not to speak to him. Don’t even look at him unless absolutely necessary.

Riley: Why?

Eric: Lucas is… not exactly Adams’ favorite student. And that makes complete sense, because the feeling is 100% mutual.

Riley: So why is he here then?

Eric: Fair question. But I think you’ll come to find everyone came here for different reasons, Riley. I mean, look at you. Adams wasn’t your first choice for a school a year ago.

True enough. Riley still seems curious, but Eric continues on without harping on it any longer.

Eric: There’s plenty Lucas dislikes about the school -- and believe me, I’ve heard enough about it in our mandated meetings over the past year -- but nothing more so than the “diva attitudes,” namely…

Lucas has to duck again to avoid the bony arms of Farkle, who is just launching into a loud, bold, aggressive solo. He swings his arms out wide, tilting his head back and delivering a note with Rachel Berry levels of fervor. Freeze on his dramatic, impassioned belting face.

Eric: Farkle Minkus. Trust fund baby, unparalleled genius, and vocal champion -- in both singing and complaining. He’s certainly our Rachel Berry, if nothing else.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

As Eric finishes up his CliffNotes edition of the sophomore A class, the warning bell beckons Riley back to class. Eric assures her that she has always been a people person, and he is certain that she’ll be fine. Riley nods along, choosing to believe him.

When he asks if she’s decided what her first performance is going to be, she books it out of the office. Sorry, Uncle Eric! Gotta get to class, ha ha...

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Back in the auditorium, class continues. As Riley makes her way back to the center section, she overhears snippets of the closely congregated crew of techie students. They’re discussing Maya, and Dylan Orlando’s grin is wide and mischievous.

Dylan: I think I should go next. What if I did? Just to throw her off.

Asher: [ elbowing him ] No. Don’t --

Jeff: It’s your funeral.

Dylan: I think I should. I think --

Nate, laughing: As if you can even sing.

Dylan: You don’t know, you don’t know. I could be great. You don’t know...

But no, it’s Maya's turn to sing her piece. She takes the stage just as Riley is settling back into her seat, giving a speech very similar to Farkle’s. In fact, it’s essentially a fuck-you right back to him by twisting his words. Then she launches into her own show-stopping return from the summer, expressing its one of her favorite Broadway tunes -- and a natural fit in her repertoire.

Farkle is miffed by her song choice, seemingly a selection chosen solely to offend him.

Farkle: This bitch knows I claimed rights to all numbers in the Elphaba song canon. Unbelievable.

Dave, leaning over to Yogi: Okay, what is a song cannon, and how do I get one?

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “The Wizard and I” as performed by Wicked Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Maya Hart

From her first introduction to performing, Maya presents an interesting array of stage presence. She can carry a Broadway tune with ease, but her voice seems equally built for pop excellence. Her command of the stage is effortless -- whether you love or hate her, she’s impossible to look away from when she’s delivering a performance. The glamour of her overall appearance elevates it, but what shines is her obvious raw talent and determination.

If anyone defines what it means to have ambition, it would be Maya Hart.

Her vocals are truly stellar, and her performance is daunting. While the techies remain unimpressed -- they’ve seen this all before, too many times, after all -- Riley is totally freaked by how intense the competition is turning out to be. While the rest of the class applauds (in varied states of reluctance), she seems like she’s trying not to throw up.

INT. AAA - GIRL’S BATHROOM - DAY

The lunch bell rings. Riley has hidden herself away in the restroom, tucked in the corner stall and pacing. She attempts to talk herself down from a spiral, fully intimidated after Maya’s performance. Another deep breath...

She steps out and looks in the mirror, repeating the mantra to herself again and again. She has what it takes. She belongs here. She belongs here. She belongs here!

Riley is not going to let this year be like the others. She’s not repeating her freshman year. This year is about change, for the better, and she’s going to make it so. But to do that, she’s going to need some friends.

Time to put herself out there and start breaking down these barriers.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Angela arrives at Jack’s office, knocking curtly on the door. Although the two of them have a good working relationship and typically friendly rapport, it’s evident at that moment that she is not there with good tidings. Jack tries to side step whatever the complaint is, asking if she thinks their new student is adjusting well.

Jack: Seems nice, doesn’t she? Good kid. Should be a good influence, hopefully --

Angela: I’m not here to talk about Matthews. I’m here to talk about the ridiculous excuse for a co-instructor you call half-brother.

Yikes. Well, might as well go on, then. Jack sighs and listens plaintively as Angela informs him that Shawn showed up late this morning, and was no help during the performance lab sessions. Obviously she doesn’t know how his homeroom check-in with the techies went, but she can assume shabbily with little doubt in her mind.

Jack: I haven’t gotten a complaint from the student technicians.

Angela: I’m sure you haven’t. They don’t know any better. And even if they did, I doubt any of them would take the time to formally complain. Half of them don’t appear capable of speech, and the other half are avoiding your office anyway. Likely no doubt due to subconscious contagious influence from their instructor.

Jack: Oh, come on now.

Angela: They won’t complain, but lucky for them, I will.

Jack holds up a hand, halting her tirade. He assures her that he hears her, and he’s aware that Shawn isn’t yet performing to his best ability. He has only been in the position for a year, after all. He just needs some time to get in the swing of things, that’s all.

Angela: When I spent a season in the Guys And Dolls touring troupe, we got our sea legs fast. You know what happened if you fucked up on tour? You got cut. We didn’t get a week to blunder our way through it, let alone a year.

Pointedly, Angela states that it just seems odd. Coming from Jack Hunter, the pillar of authority at this school, such negligence is damn surprising. Given how Eric is always complaining that Jack is too straight and narrow for an arts school, it’s ironic that he’s willing to let one of their faculty members be so off the wagon and not fire him tout de suite.

Fair as that criticism may be, Jack claims he’s made his choices and she needs to trust his role as an administrator. She is of course welcome to continue leveling complaints as she sees necessary, and he’ll touch base with Shawn, but he also points out that she might be operating with some bias of her own in reporting on her co-instructor.

At this, Angela gets huffy. She shrugs off the accusation and storms off, claiming she has students to actually educate. Once she’s gone, Jack releases another heavy sigh, slouching back in his chair. Evidently, the put together and effortless appearance of Adams in the promotional video is not all that truthful… one has to wonder how much of it is expectation versus reality...

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

The cafeteria, the classic worst place to be a new student on your first day. Even more intimidating at AAA, where the cafeteria is more claustrophobic than most with only a hundred students to accommodate at a time. Not only that, but everyone seems to already have their lunchtime crew.

Riley weaves her way through the crowd, eyeing places to potentially start her new endeavor. The techie table is at least relatively quiet, tucked away in the corner, but no way is she heading over there. Half of them are in eager and fast-paced conversation with one another, and their chaotic energy still radiates.

Not to mention, Lucas is amongst them and remains an intimidating question mark. Eric warned her, after all. He’s looking particularly nonplussed that afternoon, no lunch in front of him as he listens to the others converse. Once again he catches her looking, meeting her eyes and offering no sign of friendliness.

Yeah, not an option. Riley turns away, keeping her distance.

Charlie is holding court with a bunch of the sophomores, mainly girls. He still seems friendly enough, but Riley isn’t sure she wants to risk that potential flirtation. She needs friends, not awkward rejections. Still, she gives him a smile anyway.

Zay watches her from his table, seated with a couple other performers, YINDRA AMINO (15) and NIGEL CHEY (15). They all murmur to one another, somewhat amused, but Zay waves them off. He throws Riley a life preserver after a moment, beckoning her over to join them.

Riley is shocked that they’re talking to her -- they seem like the coolest crop of her classmates, and she in no way mirrors their general energy -- but she’s not foolish enough to refuse the invitation. If they turn out to be playing her, well, she’ll cross that bridge when she gets to it.

She slides into the seat across from Zay, who introduces himself and nods to his friends to do the same. Nigel shakes Riley’s hand from the seat next to her. She thanks them for offering her shelter, which Zay shrugs off as no big deal. Yindra asks if being the new student sucks as much as it seems like it does, and Riley is like hello, yes, it’s terrible.

Once she’s gotten comfortable with her new company, Riley asks Zay about his passion for dance and what his future dreams are after AAA. As they get to chatting, Zay expresses that he is Broadway bound with no detours and questions about it. When he gets into talking about how much he loves dance, his passion is clear on his face. He laments the attitude of Farkle and Maya, claiming he’s not like that. A bold claim, only time will tell if it’s true...

Riley asks him about his performance for class, to which he grins. Why tell her about it when he could show her?

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Dancin’ On the Sidewalk” as performed by FAME! Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Zay Babineaux (feat. AAA Sophomores)

Zay launches into this upbeat and fun dance tune, expressing his love for dance while pulling the rest of the cafeteria into it. Riley is amazed as everyone just kind of jumps up and jams with him, starting with Yindra and Nigel but slowly spreading throughout the congregation. Eventually, Zay manages to get her to her feet and pull her into it as well.

There is a sizable dance break within the song (naturally), and we get to see Riley show off some of her own skills when she’s not too intimidated. Charlie is also particularly featured in the dancing of the number, showing off his strong capability aside from being cute and charming.

However, not everyone is thrilled by this dancing development. Maya keeps Darby from joining in by yanking her back into her seat, not about to humor her rival. Farkle is the same, watching from his table in the opposite part of the cafeteria and rolling his eyes.

But no one is less thrilled than the techies. They’re exhausted, having to listen to the performers do this shit all the time. Yet another lunch, eclipsed by an impromptu performance. Lucas has had enough, getting to his feet. Isadora argues with him, but he doesn't listen. He’s already on the move. Isadora exchanges a look with Jade and Asher.

During the dance break, Lucas weaves inconspicuously through the crowd. By the end of it, he sneaks out the back door of the cafeteria.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

As Zay is finishing up the last verse, Lucas makes his way down the hall, surveying the ceiling until he finds what he’s looking for.

Then, he starts scaling the lockers.

Intercut with the dancing, Lucas hefts himself up on top of the lockers, rolling onto his back in the thin space between the top and the ceiling. He digs in his pockets, pulling out a lighter. Ever so carefully, he sparks it and holds it out towards the sprinkler system a foot or so away. Stretching as far as he can reach… getting that flame closer and closer…

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

As Zay and Riley bring the number to an end with a flourish, suddenly the fire alarm blares through the cafeteria. In the next second, there’s a click, and the sprinkler system erupts and douses them all in mucky water.

The cafeteria bursts into chaos, students screaming and trying to run from the building. Maya shrieks, trying to shield her hair as she and her plastics flee the scene. She isn’t afraid to push people out of the way. Farkle, meanwhile, isn’t even trying to run, frozen in rage and getting soaked. He snarls, swinging his wet hair out of his face.

Farkle: THIS OUTFIT IS WORTH MORE THAN THIS SCHOOL!

The techies erupt into laughter, high-fiving and jostling each other around as they exit the building. Dylan looks particularly gleeful, playfully shaking Asher by the shoulders, who looks notably less pleased and more than a little grossed out as he blinks the water out of his eyes.

Zay sighs, shaking his head and giving Riley a half-hearted shrug and well-meaning smile.

Zay: Welcome to Adams.

As if this kind of shit is totally normal. Riley wipes her eyes, dripping wet and totally shocked by this turn of events. What a rollercoaster of a day this is turning out to be. Certainly nothing about this in the school’s advertising...

INT. AAA - GIRL’S DRESSING ROOM - DAY

All of the sophomore girls are together in the dressing room, switching into fresh clothes and drying their hair (of course, performing arts girls have hair care products with them). Riley is the only who doesn’t seem to understand exactly what happened.

Riley: I didn’t see any fire.

Yindra, offhandedly: It wasn’t a fire. It was Friar.

Sarah: [ off of Riley’s continued confusion ] Lucas James Friar? He’s the worst.

Riley: My uncle may have… mentioned him...

Chai: He’s constantly pulling stunts like this and making a scene even though he acts like he’s above it all.

Clarissa: He never does the assignments.

Sarah: Not to mention he’s basically the definition of white trash.

Haley: He’s the worst the techies have to offer. No one even knows why he’s at this school.

This is all news for Riley, much more blatant than what Eric said. Then Isadora steps in, offering a counterpoint.

Isadora: Well, maybe if you didn’t sing and dance every lunch and stop us from enjoying our break from you singing and dancing every class, he wouldn’t need to do this stuff. But I know, you’re all incapable of doing anything but whatever it is you want.

Solid counterpoint, Isa. Riley takes that in as well.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Speaking of Lucas, the girls aren’t the only people who are certain he was the one who caused the fire evacuation. He sits opposite Jack at his desk, and it’s clear just from their posture that they’ve been in this exact position many times before. Yes, Lucas is no stranger to the principal’s office, and no friend to Jack Hunter.

Jack speaks with the exasperation of an exhausted parent who has told his child numerous times not to steal cookies from the cookie jar, but they keep doing it anyway.

Jack: Come on, Mister Friar. This is the fourth time. The fire department is considering adding us to a list. [ off his lightly amused smirk ] Are you really going to start another year this way?

Lucas, calmly: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Jack: We know you did it.

Lucas: You have no proof.

Jack: People saw you leave the cafeteria.

Lucas: I went to the bathroom. People do that, sometimes, you know. It’s actually quite a common bodily function --

Jack: Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.

Lucas: All due respect, Principal Hunter, all you have is circumstantial evidence and confirmation bias. So unless you have anything else to add, I really should get back to class so I can listen to Farkle Minkus squawk for yet another jolly day in this wonderful, wonderful institution to higher learning.

Jack doesn’t have any other proof, so there’s not much he can do. But it’s clear -- Lucas is one of his most frustrating students, and he’s run out of ways to make headway with him. It really is a wonder he’s even still at the school…

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

As Lucas makes his way back into the halls and to class, Jack follows him out. He paces a bit to clear his head, get some fresh air rather than sit in his office… and happens to run right into a conversation happening in the adjoining hall. He hangs back around the corner, eavesdropping as Eric stands with a couple of the other teachers.

The group of them are obviously not happy with the sprinkler situation. Understandably so, but Eric is trigger happy to pin the blame on Jack. He sympathizes with the complaints of the fellow faculty, before insisting that it all comes down to leadership at the end of the day. Jack is a good disciplinarian, sure, and he’s been here for years… but then how come this keeps happening? In his opinion, Jack just isn’t built for an environment like this. The arts are about creativity, inspiration, hopeful encouragement and emotional exploration… not rules, strict academics, and going by the book.

Jack is pissed, but he’s not going to make a scene. It’s nothing he’s never heard before anyway, least of all from his best counselor but least favorite co-worker. He turns the other way, marching back to his office.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - NIGHT

That night, Riley has dinner with her family. It is clear through this scene that things between Cory and Topanga are not as rosy as America’s sweethearts would have you believe. They’re snippy with one another, and it seems like problems are brewing on the horizon.

Riley mentions her struggle to pick her audition song, and the strong personalities already at play at school. Topanga instructs her with the realist approach, which is that she’ll then need to bring her best as well. What power ballads does Riley have in her repertoire? She can’t let those other students walk all over her -- they don’t want a repeat of last year.

No kidding, Topie. Although it’s well-intentioned advice, it doesn’t seem like what Riley wants to hear. She nods along, focusing back on her food.

INT. JACK’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

In a parallel setting, Jack is having a small casual dinner with his half-brother, Shawn. Although his first impression at school wasn’t much, it’s clear that Shawn isn’t the worst guy in the world. He and Jack definitely seem to have a good relationship, this family dinner a weekly tradition for them.

And Shawn can tell when Jack is burying emotions. He prompts him to spill about whatever pissed him off that day -- aside from the obvious. Is there other beef going on in the school? Anything interesting? Jack avoids it at first, but when Shawn won’t let it go, he cracks.

Jack: Actually, people had some choice things to say about you. Showing up late, again? On the first day?

Shawn’s upbeat demeanor crumbles fast, defaulting to defensive. He quickly susses out that it must have been Angela who complained, claiming that of course she’s going to rag on him. She’s biased, Jack, you know that. She’s been out to get him ever since… well, things fell apart. Of course she wouldn’t want to see him trying to pick himself back up -- imperfectly, sure, but…

Jack shakes his head, getting up from his seat and taking his plate to the sink. Shawn keeps trying to defend himself, saying it’s all Angela’s fault, that everyone is just overreacting, who cares what they think --

Jack: I do, Shawn! I have to care what they think. It’s my job!

Oh. Well… that’s another story. This gets Jack to the actual root of what he’s frustrated with -- Eric’s criticism of him, and the way no one is ever happy with him at AAA. They all think the job is so simple, so easy. File some paperwork, discipline a kid when necessary, keep things in order. But that’s harder than it sounds. Of course Eric thinks he has it all figured out -- he’s the good guy. He gets to be the faculty favorite, telling the kids exactly what they want to hear, while Jack has to be the realist. He has to deliver the hard truths, the punishments and probabilities, to step in to keep things in order even when it feels like everything is constantly in chaos.

And honestly, Shawn is not helping with that. It’s way easier for people to question Jack’s leadership, his strong stances, his ability to keep things in line, when his “nepotism hire” can’t even show up for work on time. Shawn still tries to defend himself, but his arguments are becoming more sheepish as they go. It’s hard to argue against something that’s objectively true.

Jack: I’m not asking you to do my job. It’s my shit, and I’ll deal with it. I always do. But I’m bending over backwards for you, and you have to meet me in the middle.

Shawn: I know… I know, I’m --

Jack: I gave you this job as a fresh start, Shawn. Because I believed you could pull things back together, that you didn’t have to keep going down the road you were on. I still do believe that. But you have to prove me right, you have to show up.

Shawn: Okay. You’re right, I’m sorry.

Jack: Not even just for me. You have to show up for them. You think Friar would be going around doing this shit if he had even a little more discipline within the school day? The sense that someone else is looking out for him? You know that’s absent from every other part of his life. And all of them have their own shit. You know what that’s like -- we went through it ourselves.

Shawn: … that’s true. I --

Jack, exasperated: They’re what matters, Shawn. Forget the politics, forget the petty drama. With Angela, with Eric. Whatever. What matters are the students. We show up for them. Even if everything else is in chaos.

If anything, the exchange at least highlights why Jack is at AAA. All the criticism that gets hurled at him, all the hard choices he has to make, at the end of the day he’s doing his best. He’s there to help the students, to give them an education and foundation for the rest of their lives. One, seemingly, he wishes he had for himself.

Shawn is certainly reprimanded enough. He agrees with Jack, apologizing again and thanking him for giving him the opportunity. He knows what Jack had to risk to do it. He’s going to try not to squander it -- not to mess everything up again.

Like everything else, all Jack can do is hope for the best. He nods, taking Shawn’s dish and focusing on washing them in the sink instead of facing more of the conversation. As impassioned as the outburst was, it’s clear emotion is not Jack’s strong suit.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - RILEY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Cory comes in to say goodnight to Riley and congratulate her on her first day. She is more open with how she actually feels about it with him than Topanga and Auggie, expressing that she doesn’t know what to do about the song. Cory gives her advice from his heart, which is that she should kick things off singing whatever makes her feel most comfortable. Something that feels like her. She shouldn’t have to change herself just to make an impression.

During this conversation, we also learn the real truth as to why Riley is attending this school now -- yes, because of her own passions, but more so because she was bullied at her former school. This is her fresh start.

She gives Cory a hug and then he kisses her forehead, bidding her goodnight. As Riley crawls into bed, she’s back to staring at the ceiling. Thinking, contemplating… as the piano opening of “Your Song” floats in…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Your Song” as performed by Ellie Goulding || Performed by Riley Matthews

Riley keeps it simple with a soft, sweet rendition. No grand fanfare, no brassy vocals, just her sitting on a stool and singing the song. Her vocals are beautiful, but certainly not as loud as Farkle or Maya.

Angela smiles pleasantly as Riley performs. Zay watches with a smile, giving her a little thumbs up when she looks to him. Charlie obviously enjoys the performance, intrigued. Maya and Farkle look unimpressed, almost amused. At least she’s not a threat.

Most of the techies don’t pay attention or look bored. Lucas looks particularly neutral… and yet, he’s not letting his attention drift anywhere else…

A smattering of applause follow her performance. As the class is dismissed, Charlie takes the initiative to approach her and tell her that he really liked the performance. Riley, a bit flustered by the attention, is like thanks okay sure. It’s still unclear whether Charlie is flirting, or if he genuinely did just like the song…

As Riley hustles to pack up, most everybody gone, suddenly it’s just her and Lucas left in the auditorium. She glances to him, uncertain whether she should say something -- she’s supposed to be making friends, after all. But she can’t bring herself to do it. He does it instead, however, muttering an offhand comment as he heads up the back steps towards the technician’s booth.

Lucas: So exciting to see we’ve got another unassuming chorus member.

Riley doesn’t get the chance to respond, but the statement makes its impact. He’s not impressed, and she gets the feeling no one else really was either.

A little funny, coming from him considering he didn’t even perform, but if she wants to make her mark here she’s going to have to bring her A game. Maybe her mother was right -- she’s going to have to be a little bolder if she wants to hold her own.

INT. AAA - DRESSING ROOM HALL - DAY

Farkle is outside the dressing rooms, writing down notes in a journal as Maya emerges from the girls room. She says something snarky to Farkle, prompting banter between the two of them.

Farkle: Oh, yes, I was just compiling a list of all the things I’m going to rightfully accomplish this year. Winter showcase closing number, Haverford conference representative, oh, and that coveted summer spot at the Kossal camp for the rising junior class --

Maya: Oh, is daddy going to buy it for you? Think he could buy you some friends first…

The two of them stare each other down, both of them clearly meaning business and full of diva ire. It’s clear that this year is going to be a bloody battle between the two of them for top spot.

And may the best bitch win.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - RILEY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Riley is back to feeling uncertain, her “authentic” performance not having accomplished much. Then, she supposes, it’s not clear how authentic it really was… it was certainly the safe option, at least. But everyone else around her is so loud, so bold, so ready to scrap to the death… and she doesn’t know if that’s her. Maybe she doesn’t have what it takes.

The promotional video certainly is a testament to expectations versus reality. Highly skilled faculty… the polished and put together exterior… camaraderie and a bond with classmates for life… right now, they seemed destined to kill one another.

Thoughtful, Riley pulls up her tablet and searches for the promotional video again. She skims through it, searching for parts of Jack’s speech near the end.

Jack, voiceover: The competition is fierce, and the process isn’t easy.

INT. AAA - FRONT OFFICE - DAY

Eric is in the main office, chatting with the secretaries and easily charming them. Jack emerges from his office with more paperwork, catching his eye as he goes. The two of them hold each other’s gaze for a moment, that animosity still between them.

Jack: It’s work, hard work, but any passion worth pursuing takes a little faith and a whole lot of elbow grease.

Jack keeps his chin held high -- it is his office, after all. He gives Eric a cordial nod, heading back into his office. Back to do the work that matters, to the best of his ability.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The A class is assembled throughout the stage, all in their rehearsal clothes. Simple leotards, sweats, no one more glamorous than the other. There for the work, there for the challenge and the practice and the opportunities.

Jack: The best of the best make their way to Adams, and without a doubt, the best emerge from it ready to take on the world.

Maya, Farkle, and Zay all rise from stretching at the same time, eyeing each other. Maya takes a pointed sip of her water bottle, turning away with a hair flip.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - RILEY’S BEDROOM - DAY

Riley is enthralled with the video, deep in thought. Jack’s words are resonating with her, leaving their impact.

Jack: The question is, where do the best of the best come from? Who has what it takes to join our elite and excellent rank of future artists? Do you?

That is the question, indeed. Riley glances up, determination in her glare as she looks towards the camera. Guess we’re going to find out!

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “One (Reprise) / Finale” as performed by A Chorus Line Original Broadway Cast || Performed by AAA Sophomores

This classic intense theater kid song takes us through the end of the episode, following each of our main characters through their morning routine at the start of the next day during the first half of the number. This gives us a little bit of insight into what might be going on in their lives beyond what we’ve seen displayed thus far…

INT. MAYA’S APARTMENT - DAY

Maya is in her small, falling apart apartment, kissing her stressed mom on the cheek as she goes out despite how well dressed she is. Talk about expectation versus reality -- she is obviously on the poverty line. Her outward appearance is in complete contrast to the world she’s actually living in every evening.

INT. BABINEAUX HOME - DAY

Zay is gathering all his dance things together, getting pats and kisses from his parents as he dashes out the door. He almost drops his ballet shoe, but his mother catches it and gives it to him, clearly showing he’s a little more scattered than he puts off.

INT. GARDNER HOME - DAY

Charlie is getting ready for the day, dancing around a house full of sisters. He’s fighting for the bathroom just as a younger sister dashes inside, forcing him to run downstairs and get ready to go anyway. His mother licks her thumb and wipes a smudge from his cheek, as his father gives him a proud nod and sees him on his way.

The crucifix adorning the wall by the front door gives us the hint that this family is devout, to some degree. How much so, and whether that matters, only time will tell...

INT. FOSTER HOME - DAY

Isadora is eating breakfast in a crowded kitchen, trying to avoid bumping into a gaggle of siblings of all races and ages. She is a foster child, crammed in a fancy house with about twelve other children. Nice accommodations, and yet still not quite a home.

It’s obviously not the most ideal environment for her. She heads out the door as fast as she can.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Lucas is already at school early in the morning, in the technician’s booth where Riley left him last. He finishes pulling a black long sleeve shirt over his head, collapsing into the rolling chair and propping his feet up on the lightning board table. He starts flossing his teeth, treating the space like his own rather than school property.

One has to wonder… did he even go home? Is there a home to go to? What’s going on here…

INT. MINKUS HOME - FARKLE’S BEDROOM - DAY

Farkle, lavish and spoiled in a clearly wealthy home, is practicing his stage smile in the mirror. Totally straight-faced, then BAM! Full bright, stage presence grin. Over and over again. Obsessively adjusting his hair. Every polished piece in place. A constant performance…

EXT. AAA - DAY

As the trumpets swell before the final chorus, Riley arrives outside AAA again. She’s ready for her second go. Having what it takes.

She steadies her shoulders, then jogs up the steps towards the school.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Bam! As we enter into the final minute of the performance, Riley spins and the spotlight hits her. The full sophomore A class performers are up on stage, running through the show-stopping number. She’s keeping up -- barely, but she is. And that’s a start.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

From the booth, Shawn, Isadora, and Lucas run the lights and sound levels. Watching the performance critically from a world away…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

In the back row of the center section, Jack sits and watches the performance. Taking a moment out of his hectic schedule to settle in and appreciate what they’re doing there, watching the future artists take the foundation and flourish. He smiles, in spite of it all, reminding himself what really matters.

The kids give it their all, ending the number with a flourish. The lights are bright, Riley is alive with the energy of a good performance.

Welcome to Adams, indeed. This is it!

END OF PILOT.

#S1 #101 #episodes #s3 countdown #S1 reread #AMBITION REREAD AND REVAMPED LETS GOOOO #AAA WARRIORS ARE WE READY #🎉🎉🎉

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chipmunkfanno1love · 5 years ago

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Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure Speculation: Varian and Vex Shipping - Part 2

I'm sure you guys have read my speculation post about the possibility of Varian and Vex becoming friends and later a romantic item if these two ever do meet. If not, I added the link below if you want to give it a look:

https://chipmunkfanno1love.tumblr.com/post/189225723097/rapunzels-tangled-adventure-speculation-varian

Despite being what fans call a "crack ship" at this stage, I personally hope this ship does potentially become canon. I admit I'm getting my hopes up at this stage, but I'll accept whatever the writers choose to do (or not do) with these characters and their love lives. Still, I have a number of other headcanons and speculations about how I imagine a romantic relationship developing between these two teens, and thought of some other fictional couples I could potentially compare them to. I've based this off what I have observed of both characters and general ideas I've thought up myself.

Part 2 is going focused more on how I believe the relationship will develop as a whole and what cute, romantic moments I hope to see between these two cuties. :D

(Note: I don't own Tangled or any of the other video clips or GIFs shown here. I am only using them as reference links. )

I think that Rapunzel and Eugene could be role models to these two teens regarding dating and relationships due them being older and having more experience romance wise. Plus both Rapunzel and Eugene themselves have had very different experiences regarding relationships with Rapunzel being lucky enough for her first love to end up being her true love, while Eugene has dated other women before and has even had a fiancée, Stalyan, but it took him some time before he finally found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, so I'm sure both have very different but relevant life experiences to share the two teens.

Personally I can see Varian and Vex's first interactions starting out as a rivalry quite similar to Cassandra and Eugene's, or maybe similar to Rapunzel and Cassandra in the flashback episode, Beginnings. Varian thinks that Vex is rude, mean and quite frightening at times, while Vex finds Varian to be as positively annoying as Princess Rapunzel. Over time though, the two could grow to respect each other as comrades and perhaps even friends. Though there could be hints of romantic attraction and flirtation between them such as accidental touching of hands and/or getting into each others way only to move away quickly and awkwardly. Maybe they could even fall over each other and/or bump into each other, and it leads to one of them catching the other in a romantic (but also awkward) looking dip or even one lying over the others chest. I'm sure I could think of many hilariously adorable moments for these two.

In regards to their feelings about relationships I imagine that Varian, while he would like to have a girlfriend someday, wonders if he's ready for one. I imagine him taking his time to decide if he's ready and I imagine he'd want to pick the right time too, e.g. waiting until the drama with Cassandra and the war with Zhan Tiri is over. Plus, I imagine him feeling torn between his old feelings for Cassandra and his new growing feelings for Vex, and wondering which girl he wants to be with. Whether it means waiting and hoping he'll become the man that he wants to be for Cass and hoping she'll eventually accept him, or take a chance on a relationship with Vex and grow with her both as a couple and as individuals into adulthood.

Despite denying it at first, he eventually realises he has feelings for Vex, but is fearful of rejection from her as he's convinced she doesn't like him. I imagine him taking a number of pointers from Eugene including trying out "the Smolder", but it is only when he allows his true self to shine through does he truly win Vex's heart.

Vex on the other hand is disgusted by the idea of relationships. She's never wanted or considered the idea of having a boyfriend as she finds romance to be icky. Though as she grows closer to Varian as a friend, she admits to feeling confused by her feelings for him, admitting that she's never felt this way about anyone before. I probably see her having a moment or perhaps even a song number similar to Meg's I Won't Say I'm in Love. Either way, I imagine it will take a bit of time before she realises that she has feelings for Varian and would like to give romance and having a boyfriend a shot. I imagine her being secretly shy about opening up about her feelings.

Of course it may take some time before these two choose to be a couple. Perhaps it won't happen until the season finale or even a flash-forward to the future.

I Won't Say I'm in Love from Hercules:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl0DMTlwLw4

I would like the idea of them having a romantic duet, showing their confusion over their feelings for each other and describing the physical and emotional sensations they are feeling as a result (as appropriate to Disney Channel of course). Also it could show what they admire about each other in terms of strengths and how it helps the other to grow as a person.

I'm thinking the song could go along the lines of a romantic version of What is This Feeling? from Wicked and We're of the Same Pride from The Lion Guard.

What is this Feeling? from Wicked

https://youtu.be/aKtUwrP8z2A

We're of the Same Pride from The Lion Guard

https://youtu.be/h1Z5seWxCws

I do like Britt Robertson as an actress, but I don't think she's the strongest singer in the world, so unless they take her character's singing down the more comedic route I think it would be better if Vex had another actress do her singing voice.

Other options could be that Jeremy Jordan does a romantic solo as Varian (on and/or off screen) for the two of them, or perhaps neither character sings at all and they instead have another off-screen singer sing a love song for them much like they did with the Friendship Song.

Friendship Song

https://youtu.be/oPsen74HDaI

While a love song is not required for these two considering they're more supporting/guest characters, I certainly find the idea to be very sweet.

I actually have a few ideas on what I imagine their first kiss being like (if they have one). As you can see, I've used a few other couple kisses as examples.

It would be cute to see them mirroring Rapunzel and Eugene's first kiss, albeit in a different situation and with a little more teen awkwardness and innocence. Even if they mirror Rapunzel and Eugene's almost kiss in I See the Light that would also be cute.

Eugene and Rapunzel's first kiss:

https://youtu.be/LAZ3IFiINKg

I See the Light scene (watch 2:28 to 3:37)

https://youtu.be/ONkkUuh44eU

It would be cute to see Varian's clumsy persona and/or Vex's forceful persona being involved in their first kiss. Here are a few video examples of this trope. I could definitely see Varian swooning like Jane or allowing himself to be pulled into a kiss like Marco is with Star.

Tarzan and Jane kiss (see 1:38 to 2:00)

https://youtu.be/5jtQ1LkA9VM

Star and Marco kiss (watch 2:59 to 3:11):

https://youtu.be/J74RN69k6wQ

I think the first kiss between Fix-It Felix and Calhoun could be another good example of a first kiss between Varian and Vex. I could see Varian kissing Vex's cheek in a moment of excitement, only to be pulled in aggressively by the scruff of the collar by Vex. Varian expects her to pummel him, but instead gets a big kiss on the lips which he surprisingly and willingly accepts.

Fix-It Felix and Sergeant Calhoun's First Kiss:

https://youtu.be/nWwnOsVf14o

Other examples could also include her actually doing something to hurt Varian like punching him in the arm or slapping him in the face (after he does something brave and/or stupid (I'm thinking both)) only to stop him from objecting with a big kiss on the lips, which he is shocked about but willingly reciprocates. Here are two examples of this trope:

Rocky and Ginger's kiss (see 1:48 to 2:02 and 5:15 to 5:21)

https://youtu.be/iZpSfV3eyAo

Hiccup and Astrid's first kisses (sorry for the terrible quality):

https://youtu.be/lpkTknb2eJQ

Even a simple cheek kiss would be fine. I could imagine Varian kissing Vex on the cheek like Hercules did with Meg and her having a similar reaction to Meg's. Perhaps it could happen the other way around and it is Vex who kisses Varian on the cheek, and he's the one who ends up like this:

In the end though, as romantic and cute as a kiss would be (especially since it will be a first kiss for both of them), they honestly don't have to kiss. Personally I feel a romantic hug between the two of them will be just as adorable. Plus it will show the innocence of young first love.

Some good examples of these is shown with Milo and Kida in Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

Milo and Kida's romantic hug and holding hands:

https://youtu.be/hTOnNa-EHZE

Other more youthful examples include another adorable Disney Channel pair:

Star and Marco

They have a number of great romantic hug examples, but a few of my favourites include this GIF above and these few video clips here.

Star and Marco hug 1 (see 2:48 to 2:50):

https://youtu.be/fLlgm1JqGsc

Star and Marco hug 2 (see 0:30 to 0:44):

https://youtu.be/0m7KW63lKDQ

Star and Marco hug 3 and 4 (see 2:52 to 2:59 and 4:04 to 4:18):

https://youtu.be/MT5ojPHj1YY

I'm sure Varian will learn the hard way that Vex doesn't like hugs after she either punches him after his attempts to hug her (he's the opposite of her in terms of hugging) or something along the same lines as Adira trying to break Lance's arm for generally touching her, lol:

Adira trying to break Lance's arm (see 0:09 to 0:12)

https://youtu.be/eHz2sUfJuO4

Still it does help him learn to respect her boundaries. Over time though as the two grow more fond of each other, even Vex has a hard time hiding it. Personally I imagine a romantic hug between them happening in either or both of these scenarios:

Perhaps as they are saying goodbye Varian offers to respectfully shake hands, but then Vex shrugs and says "Oh, what the heck." and throws her arms around him. A move that surprises Varian, but he also returns affectionately.

Who knows, maybe the two could hug each other after the winning of an epic battle with Zhan Tiri.

Considering we've got a limited amount of episodes left to go, I think the chances these big moments happening within the shows run is pretty slim. It's possible they could fit some moments like this into a number of episodes and/or even in the full length specials, but it obviously has to be written in such a way that it doesn't seem too rushed.

Even if Varian and Vex have a very short moment together where romantic attraction to each other is hinted at but it's left to us as viewers to guess what happens with them, then I think that will also work. They could show the result (or lack of results) of that union in a flash-forward. I'm honestly open-minded. :)

#Tangled #Tangled: The Series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #Varian #RTA Varian #RTA Vex #Varian/Vex #Shipping #Speculation #Part 2 #Varian and Vex #Headcanons #Comparisons #Theories

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lildevyl · 5 years ago

Text

The Puppet Theory

TW: Zalgo Text, Anti, Puppets!

Hello Guys, Gals, Demons, Ghouls and JSE Fiends! I’m back with another theory! Okay, now I’m starting to sound like MatPat. Alright well, I know I’m probably going to be dodging some major pitchforks and torches but hear me out first!

Well this theory came about because well everything that happened this week with JSE Community Fire! And something has been on my mind for quite some time! It’s been “lurking, scratching at my brain, just in case I missed something. Just in case something is hiding.” I need to know and I need to be in the know. And yes, I may have problem but this has been bugging for - I don’t know how long. But it’s been in the back of my mind for a while.

And that’s . . .

Ą̧͞nti̶̸͢S̡e̶p̷̧͘t͏̀i̧͠c̵̴e͏̀y̵̡͡ę͏̵

D҉ò̷͠esǹ'̕t̸̛͠

G̴l͘͘͞it̀͜͡c͝h!̧͡

ANYMORE! Or at least more recently!

Look I’ve been going around this so much! What actually got me thinking truly got me thinking was a couple to a few weeks ago I saw this post (of course I can’t find it now b/c I want to link it) about the 2 Year Anniversary of the Kill JackSepticeye and how everyone kept saying that Jack’s been in a coma for two years. Now, my brain and my theorist side kept on going, “If Jack’s been in a coma then who’s Anti been channeling through?”

Now, I’m pretty sure that some of you if not most of you are probably going to be saying “Anti has enough power to take a fully corporeal form!” OR “It’s Chase! Lil Devyl! Anti’s channeling through Chase!” Okay, I hear all of you! But my question is, what evidence do we have? What evidence do we have that it is Chase Brody that’s being the vessel?

Answer, we don’t have any! The last “evidence” of Anti going after Chase is last May 2k18 from Dark Silence. The other thing is, the very first non glitch video that we have was way before Mayhem (aka Egopocalypse). The first screen shot is from Subnautica Part 28 (Full Release). Jack is wearing all black and during the killing with a knife, he’s doing the Anti laugh! If that was Chase, then why would he be doing that? Answer, he wouldn’t be!

The second screen shot is from #Thankmas. The screen shot is with Ethan (CrankGamePlays) the time stamp is 3:32:57 (Clip from Circus Tangle). It’s Jack but not glitches! Just him making a face and then breathing hard, then the staring. Familiar? Well, yeah it’s familiar! Just about a week after that nine days, we get Quit The Game To Win. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to put the “infamous” speech here but that time stamp for that is 26:39.

But the thing that keeps making me question whether it’s Chase, is well, two things! First, is the The Color Theory @bunchofdoodlesinspace. There is a lot of good details and this also had me thinking. Specifically, on the “thread” that we see on Jack in Say Goodbye.

The second thing that has me turning the wheels on overdrive, is what AntiSepticeye said in Kill JackSepticeye. “Well look who’s back? I am in control! I’m tired of playing pretend. Sick of it! You thought you had him back? They all follow me. I’ve kept control all this time. Nothing gets rid of me. I am eternal. Always. How many times must we go through this? Again, and again, over and over! Fucking Circles! I’m tired of you mocking me with your “Glitch Bitch” That Doctor thought he could save him. But he was mine! He was weak! Just like the rest of them! I’ve always been in control. You all seem fascinated when your just watching. Powerless. Who do you think you’ve been watching this whole time, is my puppets. I am in control. If you wanted him back so badly then why don’t you save him. This is my world. None of these creatures. There are no strings on me. Good for you. This isn’t over. I wonder what will happen to your favorite boy next time? This isn’t the end.”

This is all directed to us! It’s about us and about Jack! Anti saying he’s “in control and kept control all this time and nothing gets rid of him”. We created AntiSepticeye. Jack made him canon. But the whole thing of “again and again, over and over, f*cking circles.” How many times will we continue to give Anti power, with fanfictions, head canons, theories, fan art, fan edits, fan-made games but yet we continually will watch until the very end of the video and claim that “We not puppets.”

“There are no strings on me. Well good for you!” That was directed at us. The fans. The very same fans who created him and will continue to give him power! we claim not to have strings on us, but how many of us, reblog fanart of Anti? How many of us watch so closely for any signs of a hint that Anti is there? How many of us write stories and head canons of Anti being one of the best “Villains”?

“That Doctor thought he could save him. But he was mine! He was weak! Just like the rest of them! I’ve always been in control.” This is all about Jack and the Community. Anti made it look like Dr. Schneeplestein couldn’t save Jack, living through his worst fear as a Doctor. Unable to save his friend. Because Anti has always had control over Jack but he could get any control or maintain control on Henrik. The “he was weak, just like the rest of them.” Anti was referring to Jack not being able to over come his control of him. From Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location. Anti’s debut all the way to Say Goodbye. The “just like the rest of them.” It wasn’t the other Egos Anti was referring to, it was us! The Community.

Then there are two finally things. “Who do you think you’ve been watching this time are my puppets! I wonder what will happen to your favorite boy?”

Anti is referring to Jack. We watch Jack constantly! All of us had joined at different time tables, for different reasons, but all of us enjoyed watching Jack. Even love all the Ego stuff he does. Anti couldn’t take over Dr. Schneeplestein fully b/c Anti didn’t make his debut on the Channel for millions to see and make a full appearance until Jack made him a Canon Ego. After Marvin and Schneeplestein even though Anti has been around longer.

Anti has made Jacke his puppet! Anti has been channeling through Jack! That’s why Anti doesn’t always need the glitches. He can channely through Jack. Our favorite boy, isn’t one of the Egos, it’s Jack! We’ve been watching Jack! Anti took over not in Kill JackSepticeye but in Say Goodbye. Jack had been giving us hints from January 2k17 all the way until now. And Anti had even confirmed it! Jack and us are his puppets and that’s who we’ve been watching.

Jack was never in a coma. Chase was trying to snap Jack out of it and not be in Anti’s control. That’s why Chase has taken over from time to time and why Anti started to go after Chase. Letting Chase know that he, AntiSepticeye knows that it’s not Jack but him. And that Jack needs to be running the Channel. Not him. Not a non-puppet.

Well, that does it for this theory. Leave a comment to let me know what you think! And I’ll see you all in the post! C’ya!

=====================================

Tagging: @jacksepticeyetheorist, @therealjacksepticeye, @thevampireauthoress, @the-scribe-watches, @septic-dr-schneep, @egopocalypse, @epicfangirl01, @jackjames-exe, @dezzydynamite, @isa-ghost, @isas-theory-wall, @littlepinkchan, @a-humble-narcissus, @huffletrax, @kisstheashes, @kangaroo-roux, @shadowsinyoursoul, @kasper-the-ghost, @weirdmixofweirdness, @corruptedmetadata, @starlightstarfight, @nightfuryobsessed, @run-stray-wolf, @d-structive, @dolphintreasureart, @leotherussianlion, @bunchofdoodlesinspace, @julywinters

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merinnan · 5 years ago

Text

Nevermore - Part 10

AO3 | Nevermore Masterlist

A flash of movement by the door caught Jiang Cheng’s attention as he took his seat, and he looked over to catch a glimpse of what looked to be the ends of long hair and white ribbon disappearing into the corridor. His usual frown deepening, he looked around the lecture hall to see who was skipping out on this lecture. He couldn’t see anyone missing, and a quick headcount confirmed that all of the cadets, both the ones almost through their training and the newer ones who’d arrived recently, were in their seats and paying attention to Nie Huaisang as he gestured at the screen with his fan.

With a shrug, Jiang Cheng sat back in his seat and pulled his phone out. It must have been someone realising they were walking into the wrong room, he figured, pulling up his earlier conversation with Song Zichen to send the man another message.

thx for the headsup earlier

cadets all here and accounted for

he can go suck shit if he’s looking for them now

Zichen

Glad to hear it

But if he’s got it into his head to start that again, he’s probably not going to give up

he can go fuck himself

don’t worry about it

me and mianmian have it covered

Zichen

Xingchen and I will also keep an eye on him when we can

Would you like us to tell Jingyi and Sizhui to do the same?

fuck no

jingyi’s reckless enough that he’ll just go challenge him to a fight immediately

even though he’s still on fucking crutches

tell wen ning if u see him b4 I do

Zichen

He was here maybe 10 minutes ago with Lan Xichen

We mentioned it to him and told him we’d told you about it

I’ll let him know you’d like him to help us keep an eye on his cousin

He frowned at his phone. He’d forgot that this Lan Xichen guy was supposed to arrive today, and he and Wen Qing hadn’t yet finished narrowing down a list of prospective co-pilots. All of that work on top of one class of cadets coming into the last few months of their training and another class having just begun had him completely busy, so of course now was the time the fucking Wen brothers had to start their bullshit again. They were probably annoyed their jaeger was still out of commission and looking to take it out on their juniors. Jiang Cheng gave a slight grunt of disgust as he shot off a message to Miammian letting her know that he needed to go straight to Wen Qing’s once he was done here, before glancing up at the screen.

The sight that met him was from video footage that was burned into his mind, one of the scenes that replayed in his head when he was trying to sleep, and twisted itself into nightmares. As it had four years ago, and as it had far too many nights since, the kaiju Malerax stood in front of the skyscraper that held the Shanghai offices of Jiang Corporation, reaching up with one clawed hand to rip down the purple steel lotus that was the corporation’s logo on the building that a bare minute before it had smashed that self-same fist through. More bricks and glass showered down to the ground, the building shaking again. Jiang Cheng swallowed, closing his eyes before watching the kaiju use the lotus to hammer at the jaeger trying to stop it.

Watching the place and approximate time of his parents’ deaths hadn’t been what he’d expected from a tactics lecture. He knew his mother was still alive at this point of the battle – according to the timestamps on the video footage and on his phone, this was about the point she sent him the last message he’d ever received from her. Had she already received her fatal injuries by now? That, he didn’t know, but he was sure that she knew she was going to die. He couldn’t imagine her sending the message that she had otherwise. Had his father already been killed at that point? Those were questions he both wished he knew the answer to, and hoped that he never would.

Grateful that whatever reason Nie Huaisang had for showing the cadets this footage as part of the lecture didn’t also require the sound of that battle, he opened his eyes again and looked fixedly down at his phone instead, tapping through random apps without looking at them and ignoring the lecture until the lights coming back on and the sound of movement and quiet chatter signaled that it was over.

“Wanyin?”

He looked up from his phone to see Nie Huaisang had come to stand in front of him, hiding behind his fan like usual. The man looked almost…concerned. Jiang Cheng arched an eyebrow, putting his phone away and standing.

“What, Huaisang? Make it quick, I have work to do.”

“Are you alright?”

Well…that wasn’t what he was expecting. He scowled. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Nie Huaisang gave a slow, lazy few waves of the fan, but the sharp look of concern didn’t fade. “Your reaction to some of the footage I showed – I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look actually shaken before. And you’ve never switched off like that when I’m presenting new theories and tactics. You’re usually even more attentive than the cadets.”

“I wasn’t fucking…” he began to snap, then stopped, and just scowled again. “I’m fine. Just had other stuff to deal with today.” He waves a hand at the cadets filing out. “Training this lot, working out Drift matches, new pilots, Wen Xu being a fuckwit as usual, shit like that. Don’t worry about it. Look, if there’s nothing you needed me for, I’m going to be late to meet Wen Qing.”

He wasn’t, but it was a good excuse to get out of there. From the look Nie Huaisang was giving him, the other man had seen right through it, but simply gave him a small smile and a nod.

“Of course – come see me when you have a moment, though.” He glanced at the blank screen over his shoulder. “I have some more theories than what I discussed here.”

“Sure.” He cricked his neck with a loud crack. “Fuck knows when, but I’ll drop by.”

“Wanyin…”

He turned and began striding for the door. “See you later, Huaisang.”

~~~

A short while after, sprawled over one of Wen Qing’s sofas with his feet danging over the side (“Boots OFF the sofa, Jiang Cheng! And no, don’t you DARE take them off, I don’t want to smell your stinky feet.”), Jiang Cheng tossed another file onto the table after trying and failing to pay attention to its contents.

“Who was that?” Wen Qing asks, barely looking up from her screen. “And are they a yes or a no?”

“Fucked if I know yet.” He flopped his hand over his eyes. “They could be either, honestly. I’ll know for sure once I can actually see this Lan fight in person instead of just looking at his records and their records.”

“Which you will, but for now can you please make some judgements based on those records of who we should test him with? We can’t just randomly throw cadets at him and see who sticks.”

He lifted his hand and glanced over at her. She glared at him through the blue screen of text and numbers hovering in front of her, before rolling her eyes and picking up her coffee to take a drink. Reaching out, she dragged the record in front of her off of the screen, allowing the next to fill its place.

“How about Xiao Qing?” she suggested.

“No.” There’s no hesitation in his response.

“Oh? We know she’s Drift-compatible with Xiao Xingchen, and his and Lan Xichen’s psych profiles are…”

“No,” he repeats. “She and Xue Yang will make a much stronger team.”

“Xue Yang? And Xiao Qing?”

His lips pull back in a rare grin. “If they don’t fucking kill each other first, yes. Trust me.”

She gave a snort in response, her fingers flicking at the record to close it. “Only because you haven’t been wrong about a match yet.” Another flick, and the screen faded out as she took another sip of her coffee and looked at him. “Okay, spill.”

“…huh?”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me. Something happened. What is it?”

His hand flopped back over his eyes. “Nothing.” Even before the word left his mouth, he knew that Wen Qing wasn’t going to let him get away with just that – she never had, with anything, not even when they were kids. Sure enough, he heard her push her chair back and her footsteps cross the room from her desk to the sofa he was sprawled along. He should have expected the sharp jab of her finger into his shoulder, but he still flinched, dropping his hand down the side of the couch and scowling up at her.

“What was that for?”

“You know what it was for,” she retorted, crossing her arms. His scowl deepened, and she just scowled right back at him. After several long moments of trying to out-scowl each other, Jiang Cheng finally sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“Huaisang showed a clip of the Malerax fight during the lecture,” he admitted. “The part where the bastard ripped the lotus logo off the Jiang Industries building.”

“Ah.” She uncrossed her arms, and leaned on the back of the sofa. “How did you take it?”

He snorted. “How do you think? I ended up staring at my phone and ignoring everything else. Even Huaisang noticed something was wrong.”

“How are you now?”

He strongly considered saying ‘fine’, then considered what Wen Qing was likely to do to him for outright lying to her about this. He scowled again at the thought, then shrugged.

“It threw me off a bit, but it’s not like I haven’t seen it before. I just wasn’t expecting it. I’ll be fine, I’ve got work to concentrate on, anyway.”

It was, he had to admit, kind of impressive how Wen Qing’s expression could say so much with just a twist of her lips or a raised eyebrow. He raised his hands in front of him.

“Really, Qing-jie,” he assured her quickly, using the name he hadn’t called her by since their school days. “I swear I’m okay. Let’s just get back to this, okay?” He sat up – or, at least, that’s what he tried to do. Partway up, he felt something yank against his hair, pulling him back slightly as he swore. Twisting a little, he found his hair ribbon tangled on one of the sofa buttons, and he took a moment to untangle it so he could actually sit up.

“Why do you have a sofa with those fucking buttons on it anyway?” he said, rubbing his head. He could feel the tangle in his hair caused by the ribbon and the silver lotus hair ornament it was threaded through, and started to tug them out to redo his ponytail.

“Because that’s what my office was furnished with then I got here,” Wen Qing replied. How the hell could she shrug with her voice, he wondered, moments before she slapped his hands out of the way. “You’re making it worse. Let me.”

Her fingers carefully and deftly untangled the lotus from his hair, pulling it and the ribbon free before she swiped her fingers through his hair, rather less gently combing through the tangles.

“Ouch. You’re a cruel woman,” he complained. “Why am I letting you do this to me again?”

“Because you love me,” she shot back.

“Qing-jie?” a third voice broke in. Wen Qing’s fingers stilled in his hair, and she thrust the ribbon and hair ornament into his face.

“A-Ning!” she said, her voice turning much gentler. “And this would be Lan Xichen.”

Jiang Cheng twisted around on the sofa, leaning back slightly to get a look at the man Wen Ning had brought into his sister’s office while they were both distracted. This was the jaeger pilot who was causing him and Wen Qing so much extra work, huh? The one who’d up and left for four years before coming back.

He found himself looking at a tall man, probably around his height, wearing a perfectly in-order PPDC uniform that was…actually really flattering to the muscular build. Long hair framed what was possibly one of the most stunning faces Jiang Cheng had ever seen, and he’d seen a few – his brother had taken a particular delight in showing him every single one he came across once he’d figured out what his type was.

It wasn’t until he hit the floor that Jiang Cheng realised he’d actually fallen off the fucking couch on seeing this man. But even then, the embarrassment was drowned out by a single thought.

Oh no, he’s hot.

#pacific rim #chen qing ling #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #cql #mdzs #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #gdc #fanfic #xicheng #lan xichen #jiang cheng #nevermore

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lovewhatyoudodolan · 6 years ago

Text

In Your Arms || Ethan Dolan

Prompt: He was your world, but what happens when he’s not there anymore?

Word Count: 3720

A/N: Happy ending I promise! In this Ethan didn’t have his original life-threatening accident and was still riding!

MASTERLIST

REQUEST

I had only been to New Jersey once before with Ethan and Grayson and both consisted of some of my favorite memories. The state was beautiful in the fall, not too warm and not too cold unlike my hometown of Pasadena.

When Ethan and I started dating two years ago, I never expected our relationship to last as long as it has. He was still a kid, just wanting to have some fun, but somehow, we’ve grown together.

“Y/N, is there anywhere else you want to go?” I smile at the older woman who was kind enough to treat me to lunch. Lisa Dolan practically took me in with open arms the first time I met her. Only ever asking me how I was able to rein Ethan in.

I shrug, taking a sip from the large coffee I took to go. “The boys are out doing who knows what, so I’m free if you need help running any errands.” Grayson had said something to me this morning about the two of them going off on their motorcycles, so who knows where they are by now.

“I just need to run to the grocery store to get some leftover ingredients for dinner tonight,” she replied softly, “But I can drop you off at the house before if you’d rather spend time with the boys?”

I chuckle and shake my head, “Like I’d rather be surrounded by testosterone all afternoon.” I knew she appreciated me wanting to spend time with her. She didn’t say it out loud, but her smile gave it away.

It wasn’t even thirty minutes later when I could be seen sobbing in the woman’s arms in the middle of the grocery store though. My mind couldn’t comprehend anything she was saying to me as my breathing became heavier and my cellphone fell to the hard floor at our feet. Nothing made sense.

Passerby’s stopped in hopes of helping my panic-stricken self, but the pure fear for the boy I loved prevented any rational thoughts from crossing my mind. A woman I didn’t know cradled me in her arms as Lisa picked up my phone to respond to Grayson’s panicked screaming from the other end of the line, the mother of three immediately collapsing to the floor when her youngest child informed her of what happened.

“Whatever is wrong, you need to snap out of it so you can do what’s best for the situation.” The woman supporting me instructed as I tried to take in shaky breaths. “The issue isn’t going to be resolved until you snap out of this.” She turned my head so we could make eye contact, allowing me to feel less alone. “Breathe with me okay? In and out.” We did a couple of breaths together before my shuddering calmed down and it didn’t feel like a boulder was crushing my chest. “Okay, now that you’re okay I need your help with your company.”

The two of us proceeded to help Lisa in the same way, me starting by taking my cracked iPhone from her hands. “Grayson?”

“Y/N Jesus Christ what is happening over there? I heard a loud crash and then when I talked to my mom, she just went silent.” Grayson witnessed everything that happened to his twin, but somehow, he was able to keep it together long enough to call us.

As the woman who stopped to help us slowly pulled Lisa to her feet, I bit my lip, “Grayson let’s not talk about that right now. Where did they take Ethan? Your mom and I are on our way there.” Gray immediately responded with the hospital Ethan was taken to and I couldn’t help the surge of anxiety that crept up at the thought of going to an Emergency Room.

Lisa thanked the caring woman before the two of us sprinted out of the store, leaving the cart full of groceries behind us. Neither of us dared to speak a word about what was possibly waiting for us at the sterile building we were headed to.

Grayson was pacing back and forth in the waiting room when the two of us sprinted in, Lisa immediately going to hug her youngest son who had a couple of scratched on his face from the accident. “Grayson, what happened?”

“I…” He ran a hand stressfully through his tangled hair as he looked anywhere but at the two of us, “Jeez Ethan, he… he was ahead of me on the road and we came to this four-way intersection. We had the right of way, so we started going through and all of a sudden, this car comes out of nowhere and completely slams into Ethan. Not clipping him, but a direct hit.”

My hands shook at the thought of Ethan getting struck by a car on his motorcycle. “Right after the hit, I turned my bike on its side in hope of avoiding a collision myself which is how I got all scratched up. I sprinted over to him when I saw the person in the car passed out; he was trying to get up but couldn’t move, the paramedics were scared that he was paralyzed.”

“Have they come out with any updates?” Lisa asked trying to stay calm and collected for the rest of this situation.

When I realized that Grayson was also shaking, I moved my hand forward to intertwine our fingers. Even if Ethan is an important piece of mine and Lisa’s lives, no one loves him more than Gray. “T-They said he flatlined but were able to get him back. Neuro said the nerves were good, so he isn’t paralyzed, but he has a ton of internal trauma.”

With all the Grey’s Anatomy, I’ve watched over the years, those words made my stomach fall, “Did they say anything about a medically induced coma?” It wouldn’t surprise me given the immense amount of pain E is probably going through at the moment. Gray’s eye darted from me to his mother, signaling that he didn’t want to answer this in front of her.

“They said they would be out with more information if-if he makes it out of surgery.” The little choke on the word ‘if’ caused my stomach to do a flip. What if he doesn’t make it through? What if he does but never wakes up? What am I supposed to do without him? What is Grayson going to do without him?

Questions would continue to swamp my thoughts for the next two and a half weeks as I sat next to Ethan’s bed during visiting hours. Lisa would go to work and come by to visit after her shifts, and on some days, Grayson would go with her, but I couldn’t get myself to leave.

I hadn’t cried since the first day, it isn’t what Ethan would want. However, seeing him in that bed, pale as a ghost with a tube down his throat to help him breathe made it hard not to cry. “You can be a real dick you know?”

A chuckle escaped my mouth as I spoke the words to my boyfriend. “You hog the covers and play too many pranks on me. You ignore me for hours to play video games when we’re supposed to be hanging out. You’ll insult the outfits I wear sometimes, even though half the time your clothes aren’t matching, and I have to fix them. You can be such an obnoxious sassy douche too… God E you have me wrapped around your pinkie finger so tight… what the hell am I supposed to do if you don’t wake up? It’s been two weeks already.”

My face fell onto the soft sheets of his bed as tears began to well up in my eyes. I sat like that for what felt like a century until the nurse came into the room to notify me that visiting hours were over, just like every other day so far.

This continued like a cycle for a little over a month and Grayson and I’s hope was slowly dwindling as time continued on. Neither of us had spoken to our managers in a week because our full focus had been on Ethan and his health, but nothing was changing. The doctors told us to give it time, but how can you continue to have hope when things have been stagnant for almost a month and a half?

I was leaned up against Grayson’s side watching some rerun of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. The two of us had been each other’s support system through the process, and it definitely brought us closer. “You know he was planning to propose next year if you guys worked out? Even brought me out to talk and look at engagement rings. He’s so whipped.”

“Why would you tell me that?” My heart fell as I pushed myself up so I could face the younger brother. “The man I love with all my heart is in a coma still and you think it’s a good idea to tell me that he wanted to get married?”

He shakes his head, obviously not meaning to upset me. “No, I just… I don’t want you to give up on him. Both of us have been skeptical lately, but there’s this feeling I’m getting… like he’s going to wake up soon.” His hazel eyes dart to the television to see Ross and Rachel in a tight embrace. “I just want us to keep fighting for him and not give up hope…”

From there I just retreated to my boyfriend’s old room, not wanting to continue the conversation. I had moved in here after not being able to sleep during the first week with Ethan in intensive care. The sheets still smelled like him and it made me feel safe.

The following day I was just silently sitting in his room, lightly gripping his hand to let him know I was still here. Grayson had gone to the cafeteria to find something to eat, offering to bring me something back but I turned him down.

My twitter notifications were still buzzing with questions about Ethan’s health, bringing a frown to my face when I glanced up at my boyfriend. Fans just wanted to be kept in the loop, especially if he takes a sudden turn for the worst, but sometimes it gets to be too much. I felt like I was going to be sick with a specific question continuously flashed by…

‘What are you going to do if he doesn’t make it?’

‘Will Ethan be okay?’

‘It’s been a month, why aren’t there any updates on him?’

I sighed, squeezing the boy’s hands as tears threatened to fall once again. Sending out my first tweet since before the accident.

‘I’m with Ethan right now. He is healing physically, but still isn’t awake… Keep him in your prayers.’

An uproar followed the tweet since Grayson also hasn’t posted any updates other than to say videos were on hold due to Ethan getting in a traumatic accident. “These people really love you E…”

Another week followed and still nothing new had come up. Grayson and I decided it was best to post a video on both of our channels in order to shed some light on Ethan’s situation with the fans. It was hard to keep my composure during filming, resulting in long drawn out silences and cuts when I’d cry.

I sigh, watching the end of my video over again as it was being uploaded to YouTube. “Ethan is one of the biggest inspirations in my life. He is also the light of my life and I haven’t been able to properly sleep since the accident…”

“All of us are hurting which is why Grayson and I are both taking a break to figure out what the next step in our careers is.” I sigh seeing the change in how red my eyes were, “Right now my major concern though is Ethan’s health… Hopefully, I will see all of you soon. Thank you for your continued support.”

When the upload reached 100%, I shut my MacBook, placing it on the small table next to Ethan’s bed in hopes of finding some peace to sleep. However, that was short lived when Grayson frantically ran into my room. “He flatlined again. They don’t know what’s wrong but they’re saying we need to get to the hospital…”

I don’t think I have ever gotten out of bed so fast in my life…

The three of us were once again sitting in the waiting room, my stomach dropping when none other than Cameron Dolan sprinted in to join us. Lisa said she was only going to fly back if things got worse and her appearance made me feel sick. “Mom you scared me on the phone. I thought Ethan was doing better?”

“So did we,” Grayson’s voice sounded hollow as he stared out the window at the dark rainy scenery. It seemed fitting for what was happening.

Every time a doctor came out, Lisa would jump up in hopes that it was about Ethan only to be disappointed when they went to a different family. It wasn’t until three hours later when someone finally updated us.

“Dolan?” Lisa and Cameron were asleep at this point since none of us had gotten any sleep before rushing here. I raised my hand for the man, waving him over as Grayson woke his mother and sister. “So, Ethan was suffering from internal bleeding because one of the stitches slipped. We were able to repair it, but we don’t know if he will wake up this time. He was under for a little longer than we had hoped and with the lack of response before… I just suggest saying goodbye sooner rather than later.”

This was the first time I had seen Cameron cry since arriving. She had been trying to be strong for Lisa, but it was inevitable for the girl to break down eventually. The doctor gave his condolences before walking back to the double doors leading to the intensive care unit. I excused myself, saying I needed to use the bathroom, but Grayson’s worried expression signified he saw right through my lie.

As I neared the vacant room my sobs finally escaped. I fell to the floor of the handicap stall, locking the door from the outside world as if passersby wouldn’t be able to hear me. At that moment I let everything I had been holding back for the last month out, all of the fear and sadness for the boy who had changed my life.

“Y/N let me in,” Grayson’s exhausted voice said as he knocked on the stall door, “You don’t need to be along right now.”

I coughed, “Just leave me alone.”

“I can’t,” He yelled, “I can’t because I promised Ethan I would look after you when he whispered your name after the accident. I can’t because you were his whole world and he wouldn’t want you hurting because of him. I can’t because you’re as much a part of this family as he and I are. Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.” With that he fell to the ground, crawling under the door to get to me. “We all love you and I know this hurts you just as much as it hurts me. You don’t have to pretend to be strong anymore.”

His words just made my tears come faster, “He’s my whole fucking world, Grayson.” My voice cracked as the words came out, “He means literally everything to me, and he might not make it through the night. Even if he does, he may not ever wake up. How am I supposed to survive without his corny jokes or shitty date ideas? Who is going to bully me and tell me they love me right after? Who am I supposed to go to when I’m sad and need ice cream at three in the morning?” I wiped the snot from my face as I continued to cry harder with every world, “It’s pathetic but he is my whole world…”

“It’s not pathetic…” Grayson wraps his arms around my shoulders, just letting me cry it all out. “Just let it all out and when you’re ready we’ll go sit with E.”

The two of us stayed in the restroom for probably another twenty minutes before I finally ran out of tears to cry. A silent conversation was exchanged between the two of us as he helped me back to my feet, me feeling a bit dehydrated due to all of the crying. Neither of us spoke as he led me toward Ethan’s hospital room where Cameron was currently talking to her younger brother.

“I already went in and she’ll probably come out in a minute,” Lisa sighed trying to stay strong. Having already lost her husband, I couldn’t imagine the pain she was in at the moment.

Grayson was the next one to enter the room, Cameron exiting with a blank expression on her face. The same one I had after spending my first afternoon holding Ethan’s hand after the accident. I leaned up against the hallway wall for support, just watching Grayson interact with his brothers’ lifeless body. Letting out a hearty chuckle at probably some dumb memory the two had shared in the past.

It wasn’t long after when Grayson finally joined me in the hallway, seemingly better than when we came arrived at the hospital last night. “He’s all yours.”

I hesitated, seeing all the machines that were once again hooked up to the boy I loved. As days passed, machines disappeared but here we were, back to stage one all over again. “Ethan Grant you wouldn’t believe how pissed I am at you.”

My fake anger was my way of coping with him not responding. “It’s been almost two months and now you decide it’s time to get worse all over again? When did you turn into a quitter?”

“You really need to get your shit together for all of our sakes…” I sigh as I fell into the seat next to his bed, gripping his cold hand tightly in my own. I was silent for a few minutes, the only noise breaking the silence being the machines in the background. “You really want me to sweat, don’t you? Lying here in a coma while I worry like the wife of a man going to war… God Ethan, I can’t do it anymore. I can’t put on the tough girl act for you because you could be dying for all I know. At any point, you could flatline again and they may not be able to bring you back again and that scared the living shit out of me…”

I trace circles on the back of his hand lightly, “I hate how you have become the center of my world in the last two years. It’s been almost impossible to sleep without you by my side, I even moved to your old room in hopes that your sent would help me. I cry at the drop of a hat if someone brings you up in conversation.” I glanced up at the lights in hopes of keeping my tears at bay, “I couldn’t even make a simple update video for the fans without sobbing…”

“You are the love of my life and I don’t know how the hell I could live without you… Please…. Please don’t make me do this alone.” I choke on my words, “I don’t think I can do it without you E…”

My face fell down onto the white sheets as I somehow once again found tears to shed for the poor boy laid out on the bed in front of me. I didn’t know if I was imagining things when I heard choking coming from the boy on the bed, but when a nurse ran in I grew worried. “What happened? I didn’t do anything!”

She chuckled as she pulled the breathing tube out of his mouth, a large smile on her face. “You didn’t do anything, but this is a good thing!” She replied as she started looking over his charts, “He was fighting the breathing tube meaning he is able to breathe on his own. He’s trying to wake up.”

My hand squeezed his hand tightly and a smile formed on mine and the nurses face when a light one was returned. “He’s going to be okay?”

“He’s got a long road to completely recover, but his response means that he’s awake and his body will work harder to heal itself.” From that day it was a steady upward climb for Ethan. He opened his eyes one day when Grayson was in the room alone and the two had been inseparable since. Lisa and Cameron had gone in to speak with the boy a couple of times since, but I hadn’t found the courage to do so yet.

I stood outside his room two weeks after he squeezed my hand watching as Grayson walked out and toward where I was watching. “He wants to talk to you. He’s been waiting for almost a week now.”

“I don’t know what to say to him, Gray…”

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me toward the doorway of my boyfriend’s recovery room “It’s just Ethan. Go.” He gave a light push forward as encouragement before leaving for what I guessed was the cafeteria.

“Wow you really look like my girlfriend, but I kind of forgot what she looks like because I haven’t seen her in so long.” Ethan joked softly as I walked through the threshold, “What took you so long?”

I shrug and talk a seat across from him silently, “I was nervous.”

“Why? I’m going to be okay.” His hand reached forward for mine and I gladly placed mine in his warm one.

“E you were touch and go for two months,” I sighed as he brushed some of my bangs from my face, “I thought that was it for our time together…”

He tilted my chin up so I could look him in the eye, “I promise you I’m not going anywhere any time soon okay? I love you.”

“I love you too,” I choked out as he smiled at me.

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complicatedandstained · 6 years ago

Text

The Other Day at Hot Topic: Khakis

Hot Topic’s morning security feed speeds across the screen, and Axel feels both disappointed and relieved that it’s about as eventful as a commercial for laundry detergent. He begins to suspect Vanitas had been yanking his chain after all, and allows his eyes to wander, his idle, tapping fingers to flip his phone over as a notification from Demyx pops up.

Axel hasn’t spoken to him since their argument the other day, but Demyx is not one to hold a grudge forever, especially when something important crops up.

Axel taps the notification and a video plays—Demyx, dressed in athletic shorts, filming from erratic angles and dancing through the bubbles where the ocean meets the sand. Xigbar’s German Shepherd, Delilah, frolics at his side, splashing bits of water at the lens as Demyx’s giggles intersperse with the dog’s delighted yips.

“Hey there, Delilah,” Axel croons through a grin, thumb skimming the side of the screen. He can almost smell the saltwater and damp fur as something by The Beach Boys desecrates his phone speaker, grainy, as it’s likely—absolutely—playing from Demyx’s.

Chasing the incoming tide, Delilah slips through Demyx’s bare legs, her braided leather leash tangling around Demyx’s ankles as she prances. This unceremoniously knocks him down into the warm bed of sand. Demyx shrieks and laughs as her enormous paws and nose dampen the chest of his cutoff Life is Good tank top.

Definitely more important than our argument about Saïx.

The video ends abruptly as Demyx fumbles his device, and Axel raises his head, cackling, and almost misses it all.

On the computer screen, Roxas hovers over Vanitas who is sprawled on the ground, arms clutching his gut, a mite melodramatically, in Axel’s opinion—like a dying actor.

Wait. Roxas hovers over what?

Axel hits pause and rewind so fast the mouse falls off the table and the keyboard clatters.

The hell?

* *

Axel has been told he has a temper. That temper has been described as many things. Fiery. Explosive. Volcanic. It’s not a quick temper by any means, though he has a reputation for that, too. He tends to let things roll off his shoulders like rain water on bare skin, to deal with them with clever remarks and keep his face artfully unphased.

But seeing Vanitas corner Roxas behind the register, unheard poison rising up from his sneer, Axel feels an unprecedented surge of cold in the pit of his stomach.

Anger, yes, but more than that…

Like, when Vanitas winds his arm back to take a swing, Axel hates himself for not being there, for not making Xigbar drive a little faster, because he wants nothing more than to step between Roxas and that swing. Axel wants to take the force into his own rib cage and give Vanitas a light shove. Over the counter. Onto his face.

Axel watches Vanitas wind up on Roxas and watches Roxas notice, his dark-lashed baby blues widening, and all Axel wants to be seeing is Vanitas with blood dripping from his nose and pooling on his upper lip, and all Axel feels is cold.

So, I’m pretty much a psychopath now, I guess.

The cold turns frigid as Roxas catches Vanitas’ punch with all the effort of a child batting down a snowball.

Axel’s jaw dips low a moment after Vanitas’ does and then—then— the idiot does it again, and Roxas catches it just as easy, no surprise, no amusement, just vague irritation on his face. He could almost be channel surfing, almost be bored.

Meanwhile, Axel’s stomach seems to have dropped out, leaving just that cold feeling crystalizing.

Axel’s knuckles whiten as he grips the edge of the desk. The chill in his torso numbs his legs. He tastes blood in the back of his throat.

Axel can only watch with his jaw half hanging open, as Roxas shoves Vanitas backwards. He hears a snarl rise up in his own throat, his fingernails digging into the underside of the desk, as Vanitas tries to take Roxas to the floor and then—

“What in hell.”

A hard, well placed jab and Roxas puts Vanitas on the ground, and straightens, unruffled, innocent looking as ever, like some kind of avenging angel.

Well. If avenging angels wore khakis. Who the hell takes somebody out wearing hipster glasses and khakis, though? Really?

Mildly hysteric laughter clogs Axel’s throat and then pours out until he’s got his head hanging back over the desk chair and tears at the corners of his eyes. All the tension in his body ebbs away and he unclenches the desk, spinning away from the screen where the guys are, miraculously, making nice.

Axel’s pretty sure this security footage is simultaneously the single most BA, most ridiculous, and most sexy thing he has ever seen.

And suddenly Roxas makes sense. It’s like Axel had been missing a piece of his window, had been looking at it upside down, and now he gets it.

Roxas—small, unassuming Roxas with his Renaissance-angel blonde hair and innocent, ocean blue eyes—Roxas, whose entire essence seems to say ‘pick me up and cuddle me’—could probably kill a man while blindfolded using just a stick.

And Vanitas had found out first hand.

Welp.

Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

What Axel wouldn’t give to know what that conversation had been about.

Of course, Axel continues to ponder, if Saïx were to see it they’d both be completely screwed.

Oh. Wait.

Remembering what he’s doing here, Axel heaves a sigh, bites away his smile and keys number 7 in his speed dial. It’s only once the phone’s ringing that he realizes he doesn’t have a clue what to say.

* *

“Is somebody dead?” Saïx asks upon picking up, in his signature, unamused deadpan. Axel can almost picture him hiding out in a nondescript, gray side hallway not far from Hot Topic’s conference room, standing next to an exotic, plastic plant in a tastefully hideous vase.

Axel knows better than to expect a greeting, especially not today, but he’s almost thrown into another fit of laughter by Saïx’s unexpected remark. “That’s a better guess than you think it is.”

Saïx grunts, words fast and clipped with irritation, “Because in five minutes Xemnas is giving one of his endless, grandiose speeches, and unless somebody is literally dead, I’m going to need you to handle it.”

And therein lies the problem. Axel tosses up an open palm out of habit, “How do you want me t—”

“However you see fit,” Saïx interrupts.

Axel chuckles, for real this time. “Oh, you are going to regret that.”

“Darling,” Saïx says painstakingly slowly, like he’d like to choke him, and is practicing enormous self-restraint, “we’ve been at this a long time. I trust you. Take care of it.”

Possibilities flicker through Axel’s head, none of which Saïx would particularly appreciate, but… “Okay.” Axel shrugs, though, of course, Saïx can’t see it. “Consider it taken care of.”

Saïx sighs in relief, probably. “Thank you.” Axel glances to Roxas on the frozen security screen again, shaking Vanitas’ hand with about as much trust as one might give a hooded stranger in a dark alley. “Don’t thank me just yet.”

“I’ll be sure to purchase a six-foot shovel on my way home.”

Axel can hear Saïx’s eye roll.

“Bye.”

Saïx has hung up before Axel can reply.

“However I see fit,” Axel mumbles, and then he finds himself grinning.

#kingdom hearts #organization xiii #axel #roxas #saix #vanitas #demyx #xigbar #akuroku #akusai #xigdem #hot topic au #my writing

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elcorreodetorreon · 6 years ago

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Mexico's drugs war: in the city of death

It was just another massacre in a country plagued by violence. But this time it was carried out by prison inmates – who'd been let out specially

Rory Carroll

@rorycarroll72

Thu 16 Sep 2010 15.30 EDTFirst published on Thu 16 Sep 2010 15.30 EDT

It was past midnight and the hired band had launched into a raucous ballad, La Cabrona, to wind up the party. Guests joined in, belting out lyrics in a singsong under a Chihuahuan desert moon: "Dime si ya no me quieres cabrona . . ."

The Italia Inn, a walled compound for rent with a courtyard, kitchen and swimming pool, was a great spot for the fiesta. "Everything was going really well," says Hector, the band's 17-year-old trumpet player.

Nobody heard the vehicles pull up on the dirt track outside or saw the gunmen surround the compound. The first salvo, fired from outside, tore through the garage doors. The band members bore the brunt. Five collapsed in a tangled, bloodied heap. Moments later, the killers stormed into the yard, assault rifles blazing. People screamed and scrambled for cover. Bodies crumpled.

One gunman picked his way through the wounded and taunted them before finishing them off, recalls Hector, who does not want his full name published. "Cry!" the gunman ordered one of the musicians, putting a gun to his temple. "Cry!" The terrified man could only pray. The gunman prepared to fire when a command rang out. "Trabajo hecho, vámonos!"Job done, let's go. The killer lowered his rifle and grinned at the musician. "You're lucky."

Seventeen people died and dozens were injured in the 18 July attack, one of the worst massacres in Mexico's drug war. The crime scene is supposed to be guarded but on a recent morning it was possible to step over the yellow police tape, trodden into the dirt, and pick over the courtyard debris: a scuffed brown shoe, whisky bottles, plates with decomposing sludge. Beer cans bobbed in the stagnant pool and sunlight seeped through 24 raisin-sized holes in the kitchen door. Blood smeared the floor and fridge. Windows were smashed, walls pockmarked. Only the silence was unbroken.

A massacre in Mexico tends to have a short news life. Perpetrators vanish and the deed is eclipsed by the next atrocity, and the one after that. Horrors flow so fast that they lose definition and morph into a single, numbing narrative.

This one was different. When the killers sped away that night it was not the end of the story, but the beginning. The attack set in motion a saga of kidnapping, YouTube video clips, revenge and media blackmail, which exposed a harsh, revealing truth about Mexico in the run-up to this week's celebrations for the 200th anniversary of independence. It is a state colonised by organised crime.

Fly north from Mexico City and the landscape below browns into cauterised scrub. Roads and railway lines, black etchings in caramel plains, eventually converge on a glinting sea of tin-roofed sheds, houses and factories. This is Torreón –"the city that conquered the desert". The first thing you notice is the blinding glare of the sun. The second is a relentless, throbbing heat.

The main drag, Boulevard Independencia, could be Texas: pick-up trucks, gas stations, strip malls, Wal-Mart, Baskin-Robbins. You know the Rio Grande must be close because the coffee – watery americano and only watery americano – sucks. The radio, at least, boasts Latin flavour: upbeat, foot-tapping cumbia music. "For dancing with beautiful women!" smiles the taxi-driver. It is about the cheeriest statement I will hear in Torreón.

The local tabloid, Express, seems to have been written by Dante. Page after page of shootings, stranglings, stabbings, burnings, shallow graves, deep graves, mass graves. Advertisements for spiritual healing compete with those for funeral homes. "Miguel's: best quality coffins at affordable prices." One bright spot is an ad for 600 new jobs to armour-plate cars.

For a country in the throes of a war that has claimed 28,000 lives in four years it is perhaps little surprise that a transport hub such as Torreón, intersection for cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines, is grim. Murders among the population of 550,000 average three per day. Two massacres in city bars preceded the attack on the Italia Inn party, a bloodbath made worse by the fact the victims had no connection to drug trafficking.

The atrocity's apparent motive was a display of strength by the Sinaloa cartel in its battle to oust a rival group, the Zetas, from Torreón. "It's a turf war, and they'll kill anyone," says Carlos Bibiano Villa, Torreón's police chief. The day after the attack, the Zetas, keen to show they still controlled the city, left four human heads with a note saying the massacre's perpetrators had been punished. Decapitation, once unheard of in Mexico, has become routine.

The scene of the 18 July massacre in Torreón. Photograph: STR/Associated Press

What came next, however, was new. The Zetas, after killing the four probably random and innocent unfortunates, really did investigate the massacre. The result was a harrowing video uploaded on YouTube. Rodolfo Nájera, bruised, swollen and stripped, gazed into the camera with a confession. The 35-year-old kidnapped policeman, flanked by masked gunmen, must have guessed how the video would end. Asked by an off-camera interrogator about the Italia Inn massacre, Nájera said the killers were Sinaloa members allowed out of prison for nocturnal hits. Guards lent them guns and vehicles. "Who let them out?" barked the voice. "The director," replied the doomed man. The video ends minutes later with a shot to the head.

A tortured confession would hardly be credible except that in this case it was true. The attorney general confirmed the story. Forensic results showed the massacre victims were shot with R-15 rifles – standard issue for prison guards. Federal authorities swooped on the prison and detained the guards. The director, a stout, formidable blonde named Margarita Rojas Rodriguez, who had recently been named "woman of the year 2010" by the state governor, was also arrested. "Disbelief. I just couldn't believe it. I had never heard of something like this," says Eduardo Olmos, Torreón's mayor.

The prison is in Gómez Palacio, a city in Durango state, whereas Torreón is in Coahuila state. But it takes just a few minutes to cross the bridge linking them. Along with the city of Lerdo, they really form one metropolis of just over one million people in a desert bowl that used to be a lagoon. Each state and city has its own police force and jail, a byzantine mess of overlapping institutions and rivalries. It has helped drug traffickers with ample "plomo y plata" – lead and silver, bullets and money – to worm through officialdom like a ripe mango.

From the outside, Gómez Palacio's jail, rising from a dusty plain, looks the part: high white walls, barriers, watch-towers. Officially, it is a "centre for social readaptation", an Orwellian touch. Mothers, wives and girlfriends, the latter in their best jeans and makeup, queue with groceries to get in. The Sinaloa cartel, Mexico's oldest and most powerful, in effect runs the place. A state surrender coyly termed "auto-gobierno", self-government. If you belong to a rival group, odds are you will be carried out in a bodybag. If you cannot pay "cuota", a levy, you sleep outdoors or in a sort of kennel.

Waiting gunmen recently killed three prisoners who had served their time and were leaving the jail on what turned out to be a short walk to freedom. Guards are routinely murdered inside and outside the jail. It is thought Rojas possibly acted more out of fear than greed in allegedly allowing hitmen to borrow guards' vehicles and weapons for nocturnal murder missions.

The next twist came when inmates rioted in protest at Rojas's removal and demanded her reinstatement. The media drove down the one, potholed road leading to the jail to cover the disturbances – and were duly kidnapped: two cameramen from the Televisa network and two reporters from the newspaper group Milenio. The Sinaloa cartel, jealous of the Zetas' YouTube success, demanded that local networks air three of their own videos in return for the hostages.

"This was totally unprecedented. It was brazen blackmail," says one media executive, who asked not to be named. "You couldn't believe these guys were doing this. Things kept reaching new levels of, of . . ." – he searches for the word – "incredibleness." The TV stations broadcast the videos, which turned out to be of frightened police officers accusing colleagues of working for the Zetas. The cameramen and reporters were freed and moved to safe houses in Mexico City. The fate of the police in the videos was unclear.

Javier Garza, sipping Starbucks coffee under a broiling sun, shakes his head. "This is not the place I grew up in." The director of El Siglo de Torreón, the main local newspaper, used to associate the city with progress. Torreón had a bloody role in Pancho Villa's campaign against federal forces in the Mexican revolution but later grew into an economic and industrial hub for ranching, textiles, metallurgy and engineering. It built universities, fountains, a music academy, a championship-winning football team. By the 1990s, when Garza left to study and work in Mexico City and the US, Torreón embodied a newly confident, democratic, thriving Mexico. A hilltop Christ the Redeemer statue, just marginally shorter than Rio's, opened its arms to embrace the city that conquered the desert.

When Garza returned in 2006 to take the reins at El Siglo, local news focused on water scarcity, schools, public works and the football club's battle against relegation. Drugs flowed discreetly north, and flash millionaires built fancy properties, but that was hardly new. Narco-trafficking co-existed with society. "It was peaceful. You could go out and have fun without any problem," says Garza.

That same year, however, things began to change. A drug pusher was shot dead, then a taxi driver, then there was an attack on a wealthy former mayor, the kidnap of a police commander. Homicide rates soared. The same pattern unfolded across much of Mexico. President Felipe Calderón had declared war on the cartels but not anticipated a bloodbath.

Torreón, patrolled by soldiers and police with masks, with shootouts and corpses daily, is enduring violence not seen since the revolution, says Garza. "Instead of being a city of the future, it's like we've closed a circle with the past," he says.

Eduardo Olmos, mayor of Torreón: 'What people tell me is that they want things to go back to the way they were.' Photograph: Rory Carroll for the Guardian

Streets empty after dusk. Staff at the hospital stack corpses for want of space and cower when narcos with AK-47s storm through the wards, seeking rivals. Tens of thousands of Facebook users pledged to attend two protest rallies against the violence but, after rumours of planned attacks, just dozens showed up.

In his city hall office overlooking Plaza de Armas, the mayor, Eduardo Olmos, with a retinue of eight bodyguards, ponders the question of how it all happened. "The police," he sighs. "They came in through the police. They bribed, threatened and recruited them and were able to use their radios, vehicles, weapons, bulletproof vests, everything." By some estimates the cartels have a $100m budget for infiltrating police nationwide. It was a gradual process, says the mayor. "The police relaxed their ethics and discipline and just gave in. In the end they weren't working for them. They were them."

Poverty and unemployment, said Olmos, helped organised crime to recruit and work at street level. "Here the gangs don't hand out free meals like in other cities. They don't have popular support. But there is a lot of tolerance for them. If that turns into support, that will be very dangerous. The only answer is education and employment. And a new police force."

Few would argue with that, but what about legalising drugs? Or allowing one cartel to prevail and restore the era of peaceful co-existence with narco-trafficking? The mayor shifts in his seat. The first option, though backed by thinktanks and at least two Mexican ex-presidents, remains controversial. The second remains taboo, at least officially. "What people tell me is they want tranquility, for things to go back to the way they were," says Olmos, choosing his words carefully. "I may have my own views on the subject, but as an elected official I can't talk about benefitting one cartel or another."

It is alleged that across Mexico some authorities are indeed picking sides in the hope a "winning" cartel or coalition will emerge and end the mayhem. Torreón, at least for now, appears to be betting on a new police force. The city recently fired its entire 1,200-strong force and hired an ex-army general, Carlos Bibiano Villa, to build a new one from scratch. Other cities, notably Ciudad Juárez, have tried that and failed. Villa, however, does not lack confidence. A bear of a man with a moustache and .44 Magnum strapped to his thigh, he keeps a helmet, flak jacket, assault rifle and four walkie-talkies within reach of his desk.

"There were 1,200 police when I arrived and they were all corrupt, the enemy within. I couldn't trust any of them. Now I've got 526 new ones and we're recruiting more." Does he trust them? The general guffaws. "I don't trust my own shadow. That's how I survived 43 years in the army."

Villa, 61, has a PhD in satellite communications but comes across as a wannabe Rambo. With cartels and former police officers gunning for him he sleeps in a small room beside his office where there is another Magnum under the pillow. His family lives in an undisclosed state. He acknowledges geography and economics mean that drugs will always pass through Torreón, yet remains bullish. "We are going to win!" How? "With a hard hand."

Later that night, one of Villa's 12 personal bodyguards is kidnapped and beheaded.

The force's model officer is Raquel Quezada. The 40-year-old mother of two is the sole member of the previous force who passed the vetting and exams. Hollywood would probably dub her the Last Honest Cop. In fact, the former secretary was inspired to sign up by Demi Moore's character being "pushed to the limit" in the film G.I. Jane. On patrol, the soft-spoken Quezada is transformed by body armour, a rifle and skull-painted mask. To prepare for her new job, Quezada ran 10km every day and lost 6kg in gruelling training. "They taught me to control fear and manage risk. This work is dangerous but noble."

Authorities hope to keep the new force honest by promising a free house to every officer who completes 10 years without blemish. A significant carrot, but it is questionable if it can compete with narco threats and cash.

In a different part of the city, a family in a small, pink house makes its own calculations. A dead father and husband. A dead uncle and brother. Three wounded family members. A baby on the way. Funeral and medical bills. It adds up, says Carmen, 37, the eight-months pregnant head of the family and mother of Hector. "I just don't know what we'll do." Hector, who took two bullets, moves slowly and stiffly, a colostomy bag beneath his T-shirt.

Asked if he will play trumpet again Hector shakes his head. "Music, music is . . ." his voice trails off. His mother finishes the sentence. "Music is not really an option any more."

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salmonellagogo · 7 years ago

Text

I Just Know

Rating: T

Pair/Characters: Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne

Psst Ao3

***

5 Times Jon does not say I love you to Damian and 1 time he does.

***

Jon is thirteen when he understands what it means to have a crush on someone.

Damian is sixteen and Jon watches him.

He doesn't mean to. His eyes are drawn in by themselves. They follow Damian, glued to his back whenever Damian’s not looking.

He realizes that Damian’s feature is very well-proportioned, nearly symmetrical. He has high cheekbones and soft looking lips. His nose looks like it has been broken and set before. His green eyes are framed by thick lashes that have been cousin Kara’s subject of envy.

And it’s those eyes that haunt Jon's dreams. Some mornings he wakes up from those dreams having to rush to the bathroom and runs the shower, eaten up by guilt and still unable to stop touching himself.

Those mornings are particularly hard when they coincide with their weekend patrol schedule. He tries hard to be his usual self. But, it’s difficult when each time he accidentally bumps Damian, it’s as if an electric charge is running down Jon's spine.

“What is wrong with you?” Damian scowls at him. “Are you even taking this seriously?”

“I am!” Jon says. He scoots an inch to the left, away from Damian. “You startled me!” He had flinched unwittingly when Damian touched his arm to gain his attention earlier.

Damian clucks his tongue. “Pay attention, Corncob.”

“Jeez, I am, Grumpface.”

They would have argued some more, but the group of thugs they have been watching choose that moment to begin moving. It’s their cue and Damian doesn’t even say anything to Jon as he shoots his grapple gun and swings down.

Jon rolls his eyes. “It's okay! You don't have to wait for me or anything!” he says and even as he flies to meet Damian, he can't help noticing the graceful arc of Damian's form in the air.

***

When he is fourteen, Jon punches Damian’s face. It’s not that hard of a hit. He doesn’t use his full power. He never does, when it comes to Damian. But still, the hit sends Damian careening away.

Damian catches himself, hands out to break his fall. And then, he launches at Jon. Damian is fast and he has worked with Jon long enough to know when Jon usually lets his guard down.

They never fight seriously. Not anymore, since Jon was ten.

Damian is better than him when it comes to raw skill. Damian has been trained within an inch of his life and he is faster, better from that first time they fought after Damian kidnapped him. However, it takes Jon not all that long to contain Damian.

He grips Damian's wrists, holding Damian down with his body. Damian is seventeen, and he finally hit his growth spurt that one summer two years ago. He’s much taller than the grumpy pipsqueak Jon remembers from when Damian was thirteen. But, Jon hits his own growth spurt this year. He is as tall as Damian now and as broad, and Jon's still growing.

Damian bares his teeth. “Move, or I'll make you!”

“I’d like to see you try, D,” Jon says.

Damian growls. He makes serious effort to budge Jon. Jon knows if Damian genuinely wants to take Jon out, he can. He has other means and ingenuity that are available to the Bats, and often more effective than having super power. Also, Batman has Kryptonite shards somewhere in his vault.

Jon grins down at him.

“I will end you!” Damian says.

“Promises, promises.”

Damian sends him a look that speaks of vehemence. He resumes his struggle with fervor.

Sometimes, holding Damian down is not unlike holding a stubborn eel. He writhes and bucks, moving his lower body, tangling his legs with Jon's.

Jon bites his lip. Okay, maybe this isn't such a good idea. He can feel Damian's legs sliding against his, Damian's knee grazing the inside of his thigh. Recently, almost everything makes Jon's libido goes off. And, having Damian’s warm body under him, moving against him … is just ….

Jon lifts his hips, getting to his knees and using them to bracket Damian's leg. There are stirrings in his lower body parts. Something is waking up and, wow, he doesn't want to explain to Damian what it is he feels there.

He yelps when Damian flips them over, the slightest lapse in concentration and then, there is Damian sitting right there over Jon's hips.

Jon instinctively rises to his feet. With little effort, he jostles Damian from his lap, hands going out to hold Damian's sides to prevent Damian from falling.

“I …, ah! I forgot it's my turn to prepare dinner today!” Jon says, hoping he doesn’t look as mortified as he feels. “Mom will have my head!”

Damian glowers. Jon, in his panic, forgets that Damian hates it when Jon handles Damian like he weighs nothing. But, um yeah, Damian really isn’t that heavy.

“Then go,” Damian says. He glares at Jon and Jon is glad for the exit provided for him.

He turns away and zips out quickly to the higher level of the Batcave. From there, he flies to the exit that is usually reserved for Batplanes, trying to think of something that is not the feel of Damian's weight on his crotch.

***

Damian is a little weird about receiving gifts. For as long as Jon has known him, he has been that way. But, when it comes to giving gifts, he’s the opposite. Jon has several game systems and rolling door of latest Wayne tech gadgets to attest to that.

And it’s not like Jon doesn’t know what Damian likes. Jon knows he likes playing video games as much as Jon does and that Damian likes taking care of his pets. He also knows Damian’s bookshelf stores a few sketch books, all filled to the brim. Sometimes, he even shows his drawings to Jon.

Yeah, so he knows what to buy Damian. That isn’t the problem. The problem is getting Damian to receive it, without having to get into an argument.

“What. Is. This?” Damian asks. He sounds testy and Jon has seen this coming, really.

“Watercolor paint set?” Jon says. “I said I’d get you something for your birthday.”

To be fair, Damian's eighteenth birthday was last week. Jon missed it because he and Dad went to another planet, working with Green Lanterns to save the occupants from genocide by alien invasion.

Watercolor paints may sound paltry, especially knowing Jason gave Damian a real katana from feudal Japanese era last year, but they are the really nice ones. They are artists’ grade and Jon had to walk his neighbors’ dogs all summer to afford those.

“I don't need these,” Damian says.

Jon rolls his eyes. He should be hurt by that, but at this point he has been exposed to Damian too long to take what he says too seriously. He doesn’t know what makes Damian that way, not exactly, but yeah, Damian says that to everyone who gives him things, unless they’re Nightwing or his father.

“I know you probably can buy yourself something better,” Jon says, “but they’re gifts. I give them to you! You have to receive them, even if you don't need them!”

Damian makes a face, but he does not push the watercolor paints back to Jon or argue with him. So, Jon counts that as progress. Maybe, Damian even likes his gifts. Who knows?

Jon doesn't know. He goes back to Metropolis and the small mountain of homework from classes he missed, and does not think about Damian for a while.

A few days later, a rustle in front of his window wakes Jon up in the middle of a school night. It's Damian. Jon recognizes the sound of his heartbeat and he rushes to open the window, but by the time he looks out, Damian has gone away, heartbeat receding fast that he must have taken one of the Batplanes to Metropolis.

“What?” Jon scratches his head and he’s about to close the window again, when he sees it. On his window sill, there is a note clipped on to an letter sized drawing. The note says, I don't know why you feel obliged to give these to me, but thank you, in Damian's neat penmanship. Underneath the note is watercolor painting of Krypto flying under blue sky.

Jon grins.

***

Jon kisses Amelia Shepherd behind the World History shelf. She smells like strawberry, with soft hair and soft lips, soft skin that feels warm when Jon touches her arm. They are supposed to be doing their group projects. But Amelia has been watching and smiling at Jon ever since day one of Geography, and it turns out, she is fun to talk to. It feels right.

It feels right up until Jon kisses her. After that, it just feels awful.

Jon steps back and breaks the kiss. Amelia smiles up at him, tucking stray strands of her long hair behind one ear. Her hands are small. She is tiny. The top of her head reaches only to Jon’s collarbone. And he can break her in half easily if he isn't careful.

Jon swallows and tries to smile. “Amelia … I, uh ….”

Amelia laughs. She pushes Jon to make more room, and then adjusting the books she’s holding against her chest, she says, “That’s a nice kiss. See you around, Jon.”

Jon nods. “See you around,” he says and watches her go.

He doesn't see her again all day.

When he comes home from school, near dinner time because he has lacrosse practice, Damian is sitting with his mom at the dinner table.

“Hi, Mom.” Jon kisses his mom’s cheek. “You’re early, D.”

“Yes, I am,” Damian says. He shoves chunks of pancakes and eggs into his mouth. Today is breakfast for dinner day, something staple in Lane-Kent household. Damian scowls as he chews, but he doesn’t say anything about the food.

“Well, now that you’re here,” Mom says. “I will go to my interview.” She’s already dressed for work. Damian must have caught her just before she’s trying to leave. “Eat before you go, Jon. And be careful out there, you hear me!” She throws that last one just before she crosses the front door, bag slung on her shoulder.

“This is horrible.” Damian puts down his fork and pushes his plate away as soon as Mom is out the door.

“Not all of us have a butler,” Jon says. He sits at Damian's side and draws the plate to him. “And anyway, how can pancakes and sausages be offensive?”

“Alfred makes better pancakes than this box mix ... thing.”

“Uhm, yeah, heard what I said? No butler in this house.”

Damian scoffs and Jon kind of wants to cuff him in the head. And then, he remembers Damian’s “Father” eats at a fast food burger joint with a fork and a knife, and he snickers.

“What?” Damian looks at him suspiciously.

Jon shakes his head. He devours Damian's left over and digs out the covered plate his mom left for him in the microwave. He eats that, too. Jon is sixteen. He grows another inch last week. He needs all the food he can get.

After dinner and a quick change, they head out to patrol. They start at Metropolis and go out to the city’s outskirt when things get too quiet. They rescue a girl from being run over by a careless driver, beat up a few thugs who try to rob a convenience store, and escort a drunk woman safely back to her apartment.

They get back around three in the morning and Jon hasn’t thought about Amelia all night, but as he showers and changes, he remembers her again and kind of hates himself. It was stupid of him to have kissed her. If he says that it’s a mistake to her, will he get a slap in the face, or simply cold treatment for the rest of the school year? He weighs for both.

He sighs.

Damian comes out of the shower in the middle of his brooding. Jon plasters a smile on his face and says something that gets a thorny response. Jon laughs and they play around with the high-tech laptop Damian gave him last year.

Around five thirty, just before the sun rises, they go to bed. Jon’s bed is narrow, and although Damian has made noises about buying him a bigger bed, Jon put his foot down on account of his tiny room. Damian clucked his tongue at him, but didn't offer anymore.

Besides, Damian fits just right with him. He may not be as petite as Amelia, but Damian is all lean muscle and tan skin these days. Their limbs often get tangled and sweaty in the middle of the night. Jon doesn't mind, safe for a few incidents when he has to creep silently to the bathroom by virtue of something else that has “woken up” because of his best friend.

And right then, as Jon tries to close his eyes, laying on what Damian has dubbed Jon's side of the bed, he listens to the noises of the city. Jon will always miss the quietness of the countryside, but he’s gotten use to Metropolis’ buzz. Damian’s steady heartbeat is among the loudest. He knows that Damian is awake, because he sounds different when he’s asleep. Jon opens his mouth and says, “I kissed a girl yesterday.”

Jon feels Damian stiffen beside him for a moment, before he relaxes again.

“Good for you,” Damian says. He turns his back to Jon and does not move again.

Jon bites his lip. His heart is beating erratically and he does not understand what Damian meant. He stares at Damian's back for a long time before he falls asleep.

***

Jon thinks a lot about how much more fragile Damian is, compared to him. How much easier it is for Damian to get hurt, and he has, on several different occasions when he’s with Jon.

Jon doesn’t even hesitate to fly into the way of a bullet meant for Damian. Nothing much can hurt Jon, but he is not invulnerable. When the bullet hits him, he knows immediately he has made the right decision--as well as … a mistake. The bullet’s not meant for Damian, it’s for him.

The familiar sensation of Kryptonite poisoning is immediate and Jon clutches at Damian, trying to stay upright and failing. His last conscious thought is wanting to punch whoever it is that laughs shrilly behind him.

When he wakes up, the first thing Jon registers is Damian's eyes watching him. Damian is sitting at a chair beside his bed, dressed in civilian clothes and there is a shallow cut just under the peak of his cheekbone. The right corner of his mouth is dark with bruise.

They maintain a few seconds of eye contact, then Damian scrambles up to stand at his bedside, his brows pinched. Jon is distracted for a moment. The ceiling behind Damian's head is high and filled with roosting bats. The Batcave.

“Hey,” Jon says, voice hoarse and throat parched. “What happened?”

“You collapsed. We had to dig a Kryptonite bullet out of your back.” Damian crosses his arms. “Your heart stopped once.”

Damian looks like he’s biting into something sour. His mouth forms a hard line and his nose wrinkles up a little.

“Oh,” Jon says. “What about that guy with the bird mask. The one who ... shot me.”

“In Arkham Prison.”

“Oh.” It seems like the only thing Jon can say. Damian frowns even deeper and now that Jon looks more closely, he notices the dark shadows under Damian's eyes. “Can I get something to drink?”

“Wait.”

Damian goes away. The space around Jon's bed is cordoned off by white curtain and he can't see where Damian goes. Jon tries to trace his memory. He feels a little disoriented and he doesn’t know how long he’s lain unconscious in the Batcave. Batman should have notified his Dad already. His parents can be just beyond the curtain. He has no means of knowing, because the power well deep inside him is empty. From experience, it will be a few days, up to a few weeks before he can use his abilities again.

Damian comes back with a glass of water, a straw jutting out from the rim. He helps Jon sit up to drink, holding the glass for him. There’s a faint tremor in Damian's steady hand. Jon takes the straw between his lips and doesn't comment. Damian smells like soap and his usual coconut shampoo when he leans close. Jon focuses on that.

After, Jon takes Damian's hand before Damian can move away. Damian startles. A few stray droplets of water splash Jon's forearm.

“What are you doing?” Damian asks.

“Stay with me, please.”

Damian’s eyebrows draw closer together. He studies Jon and it feels like a long time has passed, before Damian says, “I … I’m putting this away. I will be back.”

“Okay,” Jon says.

Damian keeps his words. He comes back to sit with Jon. When Jon opens his hand, palm up on the bed, Damian gets the memo and put his own hand on Jon’s.

Jon doesn't ask where his Dad or Mom is. He doesn't ask where Batman is. His heart is racing and warmth spreads into his chest.

He holds Damian's hand until he hears the roar of Batmobile entering the cave and the sound of conversation between his Dad and Batman carry.

***

Damian kisses Jon carefully. A soft press of mouth. A hello and “is this okay?”, all in one. His face is so close that Jon can feel the sweep of Damian's long eyelashes as Damian opens his eyes.

They part for just a second. Jon puts his hand on Damian's nape and pulls Damian in. They kiss properly this time. Jon doesn't have much experience, and it seems like Damian is as rookie as Jon in this department. They learn and it feels good. So good, that Jon has to force himself to break the kiss and sucks in some air.

Damian is a wreck. His tanned skin is flushed, his hair a mess, and his pupils are dilated. And Jon can feel that he’s not the only one affected by the kiss. Damian is as hard as he is.

They are on Damian's bed. Jon’s on his back and Damian somehow ends up sprawled above Jon. Jon slides a proprietary hand onto Damian's back, smoothing his shirt up. He pays attention to the raises and bumps on Damian's back, learning Damian's scars, one by one.

Before long, they kiss again.

“I love you,” Jon says as they part. “I’ve been in love with you for so long.”

Damian’s cheeks flushes impossibly darker. He caresses Jon's neck, up to his cheeks, and kisses Jon once, lightly. “Happy birthday, Beloved,” Damian whispers. “I’ve been waiting for your eighteenth birthday.”

A smile tugs at Jon's lips. “Best birthday ever.”

#JonDamiWeek2018 #Jondami #jon kent #damian wayne #damijonweek2018 #jonathan kent #my fic #damijon

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hashtagkairideservedbetter · 6 years ago

Text

My main issue(s) with KH3

Spoilers abound, so please don’t read if you haven’t beaten the game or don’t want any negative opinions influencing how you see the ending/ the game. I did enjoy several parts of KH3, but this post is focused on things I had issues with, and if you don’t want to see criticism of your media please look elsewhere.

This is how I interpreted the game as someone coming into KH3 with KH2 being the last game I played, and a playlist of youtube videos spanning lets plays, summaries, and humorous deconstructions as a codex.

Here’s the thing. I’ve seen several people already break down how KH3′s story and pacing could have been handled better. Specifically, to more comprehensively tie in the 10,000 plot points that needed to be covered in a way that actually helps connect the main characters. I’m not going to get into all of that, because frankly I can’t fake knowing enough about the background lore of Kingdom Hearts to know how to better juggle all of the intermediary games into KH3.

Most of my grievances honestly lie with the handling of the Destiny Trio and the Disney Worlds.

I’m going to do a read more on this because it’s gonna be a long one. (Also very much a train of thought, so disorganized, sorry).

So. Sora. Protagonist of the game (mostly. kind of?).

A cheerful ray of sunshine.

A Keyblade wielder who has overcome traumatizing ordeals that tore him away from all he loved and knew at least twice now for over three years.

A continuity disaster stuck being pinballed back and forth between happy goofs and hollow tragedies every thirty minutes in between busywork battles and off-scene disney films for 85% of KH3.

I understand that Sora’s greatest power is supposed to be his optimism, as it’s sort of the prerequisite for going through disney worlds where people sing about their problems. I get it.

However, there’s a difference between, “I’m naive and happy and oblivious and that’s why I’m a guardian of the light,” and “I have battled true darkness and felt true loss and decided that choosing to be kind, choosing to embrace joy in new experiences and relationships, is a bigger middle finger to the darkness than anything else.” Guess which one I prefer. Guess which one I was thinking would finally be Sora’s character arc. Instead he’s happy, happy, happy, happy... and then suddenly in the eleventh hour having a mental breakdown.

Sora is written into a loop every game of kind, naive, but unchanging (”Don’t ever change, Sora”). That was endearing when we were both 14, but after almost twenty years it gets tiring to watch Sora get hit with a reset button every time you meet up with him again. There’s a scene in the gummi ship early on in the games where Donald asks Sora to “take this seriously,” and Goofy remarks that they seem to be stuck in a rut as Donald and Sora have the same conversation over and over again before entering the first series of Disney worlds. Sora knows he needs the power of waking in order to help his friends and free those trapped in his heart, but seems content to just drop into various worlds and wing it, and hope that it all sort of works out.

And then when it does work out, and Sora uses the power to save everyone, he’s immediately told he’s doomed now? Like, what was the point of him being able to use this to connect with people if he’s doomed. Why did they want him to have this. What’s the point then of Sora having these strong connections.

Each world makes a big scene about the friendships and connections that Sora makes so easily, but in KH3 there never seems to be enough time for Sora to actually pay them any attention unless the person is right in front of him. Sora seems to make connections for the sake of making connections in KH3, and the ones he has, he does very little to advance or reconnect with.

Like, the whole point of 100 Acre Wood this time was apparently that Sora’s connection to Pooh was weaker for some reason. I honestly didn’t understand the reason or how it was magically resolved just from Sora showing up and saying hi? But whatever.

My two least favorite worlds were Corona and Arendelle, for the same reason. There was no believable connection between Sora and the characters there. For fuck’s sake, the combat ally you get in Arendelle is the snow monster, not even a main character.

Sora is like the living embodiment of the B99 clip of Rosa with her dog. He just met Elsa and spoke a whopping five sentences to her, but damn if he won’t climb a mountain five times just for her to save herself without ever talking to him again. Like, literally that is the only interaction Sora has with Elsa. Same thing with Anna, and in her case I literally had to mute my tv so I could track what she was actually saying since they decided to shove two songs from the movie into this game.

You spend the majority of your time in these worlds trying to play catch up to the leads as they have their movie play out around the bend in the road in front of you, out of your sight. Props to Disney’s ego that they think I remember the beat by beat plots of their films when they came out 9 years ago (Tangled) and 6 years ago (Frozen). I actually had the thought of going and watching Tangled just to remember what Flynn and Rapunzel got up to while Sora wandered around a marsh and had a pointless conversation with Marluxia.

(Also, getting real tired of the “Good to see you Sora” “Who the fuck are you?” “Oh that’s right you don’t remember that game haha it’s fine it was a gameboy game nobody even knows what those are anymore.” That shit was getting old midway through KH2.)

To be fair, the PoTC world suffers from the same problem as the other two. Sora shows up, sees everyone for thirty seconds, gets separated, and while we’re dicking around trying to find white crabs on the islands there’s a whole movie going on that we don’t see or participate in. I feel really bad for anyone who did not keep up with that franchise because I only watched the third movie the once and I was confused as hell. Also, the whole time I was finding the crabs in Port Royal all I could think about was this ProZD video.

I just. I’m 26 years old. These movies hold no nostalgia for me, and maybe that’s the problem. I already had a connection to Aladdin, Peter Pan, etc, so I was maybe more willing to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the interactions. But those Disney worlds also felt more tied in to the plot. You can make the argument of Marluxia and Larxene putting pressure on Sora to find the Wayfinders so that six princesses of heart aren’t used as backup... but where are the other three? Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, and Kairi make four. Where’s Merida, Tiana, Moana? Mulan or Pocahontas even, since Moana was probably too recent. (But probs not, as it was probably starting development in 2014). If that’s going to be yet another subplot, shouldn’t you at least see it through?

My point is, I can distinctly recall prior games mostly keeping to the established script in the disney worlds, but still letting Sora really get in there and interact with the characters. The heartless, nobodies, etc were a real wrench in the works for the plots, and had an actual effect on how the story was told and the order of events. Sora felt more involved in cutscenes and was an active participant in the world’s events instead of just a bystander.

In KH1 and KH2 there was a dialogue happening between the villain of each world and a greater evil. Hell, in KH1 they were a unified council! In KH3 they’re puppets who don’t even talk to the bigger bad like Randall or Mother Gothel, or are there for a whopping thirty seconds like Hans. It makes it more and more obvious that the Disney worlds are just being shoehorned in as a contractual obligation than for any real purpose anymore.

The only world that’s appeared in all three games, Olympus, was especially jarring. Like, you could tell there was a lot of corners cut on what VAs they could get for this game, as Phil does not speak once. Meg spends more time making eyes at Hercules and nodding than showing any of the sass she has from the film. (This was a thing in KH2 as well tho so I can’t complain about them continuing to drop the ball on even background women characters-- Oh wait, I can, because they’ve had T H I R T E E N YEARS to get it right.)

Which I guess is as good a segue as any into Kairi Time.

Listen. Did I mention I’m 26? Yeah. I started reading fanfic on livejournal. I was there when AO3 first got its start. I’ve seen the shipping wars. I know the dark past of Soriku vs Sokai.

I couldn’t give less of a fuck.

These characters are still 16 and I am now 26. I’m fine with them trading noogies and maybe being able to kick back and play some Mario Kart. Kairi would wipe the floor with both of them because she had time to get good enough to beat Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie combined between KH1 and KH2.

The point is, I don't care one way or the other about shipping. If my 15 year old self were here, they would be horrified I wasn't over the moon when Kairi and Sora finally shared the paopu fruit. As it is, I kind of stared blankly at my screen and went 'huh, there's gonna be a lot of fanfic fixing this moment.' From both sides, I think, because even if you're into Sokai you gotta admit that moment did not feel romantic. It felt forced. Like "Oh hey, we've been putting this off, huh. Welp, here we go!"

It doesn't help that I really, truly, don't like whoever Kairi's VA is in this game. Like, she sounds so ditzy and soft. Get that shit out of here. The dialogue and voice acting in this series has never been its strength, but honestly, I cringed my way through every interaction between Kairi and Axel because of how stilted and bad their conversations were! I’m definitely not saying that Kairi’s voice was stellar in 1 and 2, but at least her voice was clear, and had personality, and by the end of 2 was actually fairly strong. She sounded strong, and determined to be fighting with Sora and Riku, green as she was then, in the World That Never Was.

Whenever she talked in the third one I just sort of grit my teeth and wondered why someone on the production team wanted Kairi to sound so weak.

Then they killed her at the labyrinth and I said, ‘Ah, that tracks.’

I played FFXV, so I guess shame on me for not seeing the signs when the girl love interest is about to be capable and not needing the hero to save her. She gets taken! And killed. Fool me twice, shame on me.

I actually saw people excited about that Verum Rex thing and after seeing the Noctis ripoff reaching for the Luna ripoff covered in purple light I laughed, and laughed. And then sighed and reached for a stiff drink.

All this to say that while I’m angry but not truly surprised that Kairi was once again shafted, I’m all the more pissed that they did it in the laziest, most insulting way possible by hinging it all on Sora needing a reason to fight Xehanort. Like, really???? Really. That’s your angle. The man-pain trope is so painfully overdone. Please. It’s 2019. Come into the future with us, Nomura.

And I feel bad that all of the stuff I just wrote mostly revolves around Kairi being Sora’s romantic interest. But that’s because that’s all this game allowed her to be! Princess of light what? Bequeathed Keyblade wielder in her own right who??? Every battle she and Axel share with Sora they get their asses kicked in 30 seconds flat, so maybe Merlin should have left them suspended in time a little longer. Maybe long enough to convince someone out there in the universe that these two deserved to be competent.

Hell, not just competent. Amazing. Kairi deserved to be able to stand on her own two feet and hold her own. To be running alongside her boys and not just be an object for them to tussle over or save. As Aqua’s somewhat successor, she deserved to be a terrifying wielder of battle magicks and flurries of light magic.

To be replaced by Xion was just insult to injury. Like, I’m very happy that Xion got her heart back and was reunited with Roxas and Axel, but she didn’t need to be brought back at Kairi’s expense. The world won’t implode if the replica and actual person inhabit the same space.

Which is leads us to our third member.

Riku. To be fair. Riku got the most growth as a person out of the three of these kids, easy. We finally see a Riku who is confident in himself and his journey, and willing to take everything he learned along the way to help Mickey, Aqua, and even his own replica. However....

He doesn’t seem to give two shits about Kairi anymore? Did they even talk, like, once during the whole game? I can’t recall a single instance where Sora, Kairi, and Riku were in the same place together where it was just them, and they held an actual conversation. Hell, where they even said “Hi, how’s it going? What have you learned, had any good food lately?”

God, even when Kairi was taken, and then when she was killed, Riku had one moment of anger, and then was completely, like, chill again, and back to talking Sora down. Like, what? I don’t want any love triangle bullshit, but Riku and Kairi were friends as much as Sora and Kairi and Sora and Riku are friends.

And that’s what bothered me the most about the disappearance of Kairi introducing this bullshit narrative of Sora abusing his power of waking. He spent two games trying to get him, Riku, and Kairi together. But he doesn’t want Riku to help him get Kairi back? And Riku’s just going to let him go?! After all Riku has done and learned about falling to darkness and clawing yourself back to light and peace, he’s just going to let Sora do the same?

I call bullshit.

And this is why when Sora suddenly faded out of view on the beach next to Kairi I slowly leaned back in my chair, dropped my controller into my lap, and flipped off my tv screen with both hands.

#vent #kh3 spoilers #kh3 #writing criticism #give these kids the happy ending they deserve #they can be paired in any combo you want #but let them be happy

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octranslations · 7 years ago

Text

Haiiro no Ginka Volume 2

Translation Credits: 1999.1.20 DEBUT SINGLE IN STORE - Risu “Akuro no Oka” “Yurameki” in Italy - Risu Shinya Nemunemu hakushi no daigyakusu - Mbear Ganso Kaoruya - Nao Meisho de Meishuu Mr. Drums’ House Edition - Risu Aibiki no Mori Toshiya - Risu Kyo's Corner (Announcement) - Risu SEXUAL Inoue LA Diary - Risu NEWS L.A. Edition - Risu

1999.1.20 DEBUT SINGLE IN STORE

"Zan" "Akuro no Oka" "Yurameki"

Debuted at 5th, 6th, 7th

Music Shop Kunihara?Goryokaku Store

Sapporo?GURUGURU Mr. Habaguchi

Shibuya 109 also has Dir en grey!

January 20, the major debut singles are finally on sale. The CD stores were also filled with Dir en grey, and you can see different stores nationwide decorated by Dir en grey. They made a large appearance even at Shibuya 109, and I think there were people who took pictures of it. Also in the Oricon Chart they debuted 5th, 6th and 7th. The members and staff both are grateful to all the fans who wouldn't have made this possible without their unwavering crazy and warm following/support?

“Akuro no Oka” “Yurameki” in Italy

When we are welcoming the end of 1998, the 5 members went to Italy for the PV shooting of “Akuro no Oka” and “Yurameki”. On the way they waited 4 hours to get on the next plane, Shinya read a book that he brought with him from Japan, Kyo and Kaoru ate pizza. (By the way it seems that Die was pretty ripped off by this store without him realizing it…) From here Kyo got addicted to pizza and ate it the whole time in Italy.

Then were forced to ride on the bus for 2 to 3 hours, at the end of a long travel without being able to get off in the destined airport due to strong winds and having the time to arrive and sleep in the hotel they started with make-up. The shooting for that day were the individual scenes and performance scenes of “Akuro no Oka” at a western style house that is also used in movies.

On the second day, the scheduled departure time was 6:30am. Having a breakfast buffet at the hotel with their complete make-up and wearing their costumes was a pretty conspicuous bizarre sight. A shrine that looked like the acropolis was today’s shooting location. Here was the image scene and individual scenes carrying instruments. These was the first costumes for the day. Because of it being quite cold, coat and mufflers were vital while the camera was not running.

Third day, the final day. After shooting the image scene at the back alley streets in town was the shooting of “Yurameki” at a church. While waiting there were pigeons that gathered near the bus because of the bread that was scattered. When Shinya was about to give bread, because of the noisy Italians who passed by, the pigeons went somewhere…

“The stupid foreigners?” Shinya was angry.

Take Note of This Italy Important News

They waited for 4 hours in Milan

Breakfast in full make-up and full costume

Shinya seems cold in his costume

Temples are cold…

Kyo, is addicted to pizza!

Loo~ng travel and waiting time

Die was ripped off

Toshiya caused a disturbance! (Details are in the news page!)

Shinya Nemunemu hakushi no daigyakusu

Hello everyone. This corner has begun again. Last time there wasn't much so now there probably won't be much either, right? Well then, so let's introduce the first postcard.

"Please tell me about Shinya-kun's beloved dog, Papii-chan."

This is Papii-chan, who lives at my parent's home. The name is Papii because the breed is called papillon. It's quite a fashionable way of naming a dog. Of course I named him. We got him in December of my third year of elementary school. At that time he was already two months old. At that time he was quite tough and the small me was often chased and bitten. Now, because he's grown old he doesn't really bite, but his quick anger hasn't changed at all. He really gets angry quickly. He definitely gets angry five times a day. For example, he is cuddling with someone and if another person calls "Papii" he will go to snap at that person with great strength. Also, Papii loves Pedigree Champion dog food and he won't eat any dog food other than that at all. The Pedigree Champion dog food seems so delicious, so even if you stare at it from the side, he'll get angry. He also likes meat and if I'm eating meat he comes and says, "Give me meat" . And so if I pretend to give him the meat and don't he gets really angry. He's a troublesome dog. He always thinks of himself as the best. On the stairs as well, he alone... it alone cannot go up by itself. In the past he went up but, he planned on going up the stairs of the new place we moved to the way he did in our old house so his feet became tangled, and he got hurt. Since that time when Papii wants to use the stairs he'll call "someone come here". And then someone will come and carry him up the stairs.?Papii also gets quite cold. In the past whenever it would get cold I would take out the kotatsu. Then, I would set up the kotatsu and leave the room for a little and return, and already Papii would be sleeping in the kotatsu. To think he's a dog, why does he get cold so easily??Ah, no matter what I said, he's a very cute dog.

Last time I wrote about Nakata Daimaru Racket as Shinya's little corner, a considerable amount postcards came concerning that. I've picked a few from among those postcards.

It's popularity before is like Downtown's [popularity] now.

He was definitely on TV every New Years.

When I asked my mother, she said "You don't know him? Your father and your grandfather and your grandmother know him. You don't know anything huh."#When I asked my family they said, "What...? You don't know? Ah~, it's the end of Japan. There's nothing that can be done."

Like what Shinya-kun said, I think a lot of people know him. ?So, well, just take a look at this and maybe you'd know, it is said that in Japan if you don't know Nakata Daimaru Racket then you are not Japanese.

So, that being said I will explain Nakata Daimaru Racket to you.

Nakata Daimaru Racket It was said that it is a Manzai that would make you laugh in three seconds, he was a big star until the end of the war, it's the popularity was twice more than "Kashimashi Musume". As for the beginning, Nakata Daimaru debuted but his partner at that time died. After that, he rejoined with his brother racket and debuted.

With the first second of flawless speech, the continuous gags, the viewers will be sent into a vortex of laughter. The younger brother racket accidentally laughs a lot at Daimaru's adlibs and that would again invite laughter from the audience. After Daimaru's death, Racket managed variously alone, but recently it so happens that he is retired.

And that's it. And so there were many postcards that came asking, "Why does Shinya-san know something that way back?" that's because I have lived 10 times longer than everyone. Fufufufufu(Hehehehe)......

See you again.

Extra: About Nakata Daimaru Racket Toshiya: When I asked my friends, they knew. Why did that many postcards come? Die: If you write it at the very end then they'd read it! Didn't it seem like it was saying, "send me [postcards]" right? So they'll send it over!

Translator's Notes: 1. Manzai (??) is a style of stand-up comedy in Japan, which usually involves two performers—a straight man (tsukkomi) and a funny man (boke)—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve around mutual misunderstandings, double-talk, puns and other verbal gags. In recent times, manzai has often been associated with the Osaka region, and manzai comedians often speak in the Kansai dialect during their acts.

2. A kotatsu (??) is a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, often built into the table itself. Kotatsu are used almost exclusively in Japan, although a similar product called a korsi is also used in Iran.

3. For the curious here is a clip of Daimaru Racket (Kansai-ben only):{youtube}LjNdbLZd-9c{/youtube}

Ganso Kaoruya

Welcome. Thank you for coming to Ganso Kaoruya . This time there are only a few things but please take a look.

It can’t be seen clearly but it’s a pretty excellent work.

Again, it’s my stuff. Devilman & Amon Black Version

Great job!! You were even able to create the detailed parts.

Next challenge is in Kitty-chan!!

Again, my stuff.

I never give-up~

…Hello.

Recently, I have been rummaging for and buying CDs, LDs, Videos(VHS). Even in LA I was brainwashed by MTV and bought a lot like Shawn Mullins and the like but mostly I didn’t listen to it and went home. All of a sudden I would go into a record shop but before I just bought CDs but I wanted to watch movies so I ended up buying the movie and it’S soundtrack that I thought, “I would never watch!!” which was Titanic. Well, it is a good thing! However!! There were tons of lives that I wanted to see during the end of the year and beginning of the year. I wanted to watch D=SIRE’s Liquid(room)! (I was really supposed to go~) I wasn’t able to watch Bauhaus in October! Marilyn Manson and Gastunk also made me want to cry…therefore, I am looking for more creations. (Totally unrelated though.) Send me things that will clear up my anger!! And so, Ah! Thank you for the Christmas Presents and New Year’s Card!

This month’s Heavy rotation (currently, January 20)

Fear Factory

Obsolete

The Goo Goo Dolls

Dizzy Up the Girl

Garbage

Version 2.0

Shiina Ringo

Koko de kisu shite

Motion Picture

Psycho

Shawn Mullins

Soul’s Core

Rammstein

Sehnsucht

Devin Townsend

Infinity

AKIRA Ootomo Katsuhiro

Meisho de Meishuu Mr. Drums’ House Edition

So, is everyone in “a knot” doing well? This is a bit or rather pretty late but thank you to all the fans who sent me presents, messages, letters etc. for my birthday last year. Also thank you always for sending me fan letters. I properly read all of it so there is no need to worry.

So, Meisho de Meishuu Vol. 2 is, what do we have here!! Once again we have a guest.

Let me introdu~ce, Mr. Drums who does Tanaka in Dir en grey (refer to the picture)

This time let’s go a bit back to Christmas. The location is Mr. Drums’ house where he has prepared 5 bottles of champagne. By the way, on this day, Mr. Drums’ mother and younger brother Kazuma were in the house, this mother was very annoying and kept on harassing us, she smoked things like echo or wakaba, Kazuma is a delinquent and picked a fight with me so it was awful. But the most awful one was Mr. Drums. Apparently he is weak with alcohol, even though he said that he has work after this interview, his face was completely red, even his ears were red, and in the end he couldn’t speak. But since it’s my corner, even if it were forced he drank and evaluated [the alcohol]. Then Mr. Drums suddenly tried to run on top of the TV, when I chased him and tried to make him drink, finally he went down. That’s unfortunate. But he was able to properly drink 5 kinds [of alcohol] so please read the table of comments after.

“Itadakima~su?”

“How are you feeling recently?”

“…….silence”

“Mr. Drums please drink some more!”

“What are you doing?”

“That’s it”

Well, this time I will end [this column] with this. Well as for the season, it will soon be spring, for those of you who want to try drinking it why not also drink it together with your beloved boyfriend or girlfriend on Christmas this year (this is way in the future…) (For those who say that they don’t have a girlfriend or boyfriend, please try finding one until then.)

So next time I will send it from LA! I am planning again on calling a guest so please look forward to it.

Well, until we meet again (mata aimashou). Espresso!!

Today’s Wine

Wine Name

Comment

Score

CASTELL BLANCH ROSAD CAVA

It seems to have a pretty bitter smell…Ah! Yes it’s a red win chic that’s easy to drink. It feels like you’re drinking in Artist Room A

It feels like swimming in the Aegean sea ? Mr. Drums

6.79

SUNTORY SPARKLING WINE SILVER

It’s pretty sweet. Well it’s for you guys, middle and high school students. It’s ant hell…what’s ant hell? “to get worms (in your stomach)” (Mr. Drums) It is on the edge whether you fall into ant hell or not.

Too sweet. It feels like being assimilated to it while being buried in sugar and the surrounding sugar is burnt by a lighter ? Mr. Drums

5.55555??

CROISIE LIGHT

I think this is for elementary school kids….because it’s sweet, I think elementary school students would really like this.

Being hit by a rain of iron mold, that moment made me feel better, I feel nauseous I think I’m drunk (nods) ? Mr. Drums

3.1415926

SUNTORY SPARKLING WINE GOLD

It completely doesn’t feel like drinking in a high end club in Ginza.

It feels like I can see 5 cm inside ? Mr. Drums

6.81

VARICHONET CLERC MERLOT GAMAY

This is for 17 year olds…feels like a 17 year old loose socks

This is the most delicious. It has sweetness and bitterness, in memories (drunk) a 41 year old…(definitely drunk) his wife left him, on the side of a too sweet park, I become Shinya ? Mr. Drums

5.59

Aibiki no Mori Toshiya

Happy New Year! This year together with "aknot" please support Dir en grey!

This is Toshiya's corner which will begin again, thanks to everyone who thought and sent titles! But somehow there wasn't one that fit so I tried thinking with my insufficient/lacking head! And I thought to go with "Aibiki no Mori" (rendezvous forest) as Toshiya's corner title!! The origin of the corner title is, actually I copied the name (laughs) Since I really love Sakamoto Ryuichi-san and among Nakatani Miki's album called, "Shokumotsu Rensa (Food Chain)", there was a song called "Aibiki no Mori de" and for me, I personally liked that song...so yes, I copied it (laughs) But, so far in my own way I tried the title while completely ignoring things like the meaning of "Aibiki no Mori" is a journal of memories where "I wanted to make it like a forest of secrets that I have with the fans and everyone". It's a bit fishy? (laughs) But, in this corner I don't want to write lies and I want to tell the truth to everybody

??? What in the world are those numbers above???Ah well. Yesyes, I want it to be a corner that everyone reads so I decided with "Aibiki no Mori". Thank you very much to the people who thought of and sent titles!! And I'm sorry!! Also next I am asking for costume designs. I am asking for designs that you would like me to wear. Well even though all of it won't be OK, I may use parts of it. I am waiting for everybody's sense and avant-garde ideas. Also the people who were chosen will have their names and member id posted in this corner and after that I will send them a present.

I am looking forward to everyone's design pictures!!

Well then please get lost in "Aibiki no Mori (rendezvous forest)" (laughs)

?/× (TUE)

Well the indies tour has finally begun. In the morning I went to Tokyo station using a taxi and went to Nagoya on the shinkansen (bullet train). I was sort of happy when I was finally in the shinkansen. The live at Bottomline was to put it bluntly, unsatisfactory. Even among the lives that I've done up until now, honestly it was the worst. I was very annoyed, embarrassed, and regretful. Due to the lack of physical strength and extreme oxygen deprivation, I collapsed after the main set. After the encore, there was a heavy air backstage and everyone was looking down. Budoukan is 100 years too early and I looked down on myself. Even if I wrote more about it I would end up writing negative things. Nagoya...I am really sorry to the fans, maybe if you would come to a live just one more time, the next one I would definitely show a good live.

I promise, the next time...

?/×?WED)

In the morning, we checked out of the hotel and went to Kanezawa. I remembered the previous night's live and had an internal argument, "today for sure..." I personally wasn't satisfied with the Kanezawa live on the previous tour so this time I thought that I must make a good live. It was good that Az hall was pretty nice. But as expected I felt that my performance was a bit not enough but I thought of thinking positively. Everyone signed on Azhall's backstage hallway wall. Also I kicked the micstand and it's a bit unfortunatey that I wasn't able to directly apologize to the Azhall manager. I am really sorry! The oden that I had at the party was delicious. Good night...

?/×?FRI)

Today is at Kumagaya Vogue! This was the first time I was here since the disband live of band before Dir en grey was formed so I was really happy! If my memory is correct, the other band at that time was the band that 4 of them were in so it was a place with a lot of memories so I thought to do my best. The live was really good. Finally it felt like the engine started and my body was light. Also what shocked me also was I stage dived which I haven't done since the Cowboy World [live] in Osaka (laughs) To the people who were under and whose body I stepped on, I am really sorry!!

At any rate, those gibberish numbers on top! Enough already and disappear!

Well, after the live, without taking a break we got on the shinkansen and appeared live on nippon broadcast's radio, "Ultracountdown". Cool K-san was an interesting person.

?/×?MON)

Sendai Makana's stage was a bit small, so it was pretty difficult to play. But the live was okay but everyone's fervor was great, and it felt good. SuperRecord's Jimmy-san seems to be doing okay and thank you for coming to the live! After the live speaking of Sendai, it's "Gyu tan" (beef tongue) so we went out and ate it, as expected it was delicious! As a souvenir I bought cheese and fresh dorayaki. We will come to Sendai again (laughs)

?/×?TUE)

Today is my first time in Sapporo! This is the first live [in Sapporo] so I was really looking forward to the reaction of fans who've been waiting for us until then but the live was awful. "M-GAZET" also mentioned the reason. It would be better if I believed more in everyone...I am sorry! To the people who were looking forward to it. I am sorry, really. Sapporo, next time we will come at full blast so please look forward to it!!!

?/×?THU)

Niigata JUNKBOX...it was hot/exciting! Everybody went wild (for us). I was able to do a live without thinking of anything. Everybody's rhythm/flow was great and more importantly you made me forget about what happened in Sapporo. Thank you Niigata!! My friends from middle school and "D+L"'s AKIRA came to watch us. I was happy. After the party everybody went bowling. Everyone was excited and it was really fun. Thank you very much for today everyone!!

?/×?SAT)

Today is Osaka! Everybody was in high spirits. As expected everyone seems hyped since its their hometown. Speaking of hometowns, I also wanted to have lives in Nagano (tears) Well, anyway the live was okay but for me the performance was shabby. So I am sorry to everyone. But anyway I want to optimistically do my best...since if I get caught up in negative thoughts it would be difficult to get out of it. During the part Punch UFO came and it was interesting. Also, I was able to go drink out with my friends from high school after a long time and it was fun. Thank you Osaka!

?/×?MON)

The live at Hiroshima Namiki Junction was okay. Did everyone enjoy it? I would be happy if you enjoyed it. Also the Hiroshima yaki was very delicious. The promoter was also a very nice person. 2 more lives left I must do my best!!

?/×?TUE)

Hakata Be-1 was hot/exciting! The backstage was small but the live was pretty exciting. The atmosphere was also good. I didn't dive but it was live where I wanted to dive! After the live we did a quick party, and everyone went bowling (laughs) it was really fun. After that me and a couple of people went out and ate rate. We will come again to Hakata.

?/×?TUE)

Finally, we came to Matsuyama.

When I remember it was early. Before I realized it [we were there]. When I think of going home to Tokyo, I felt lonely. As for the live due to a miss with the song order we weren't able to get into high spirits but at the very very last it was nice that the fans who stayed during the encore were able to sing "GARDEN" with us. Well, the last live is Budokan!

Thank you Matsuyama!

?/×?MON)

Well, finally today is Budokan! In this place everything up until now will...I will not forget a day like today, I will never forget the fun on this day...and the regret (this is again getting old (laughs)) I can't say this well into words but since I think that there is nothing that doesn't change, at the very least I don't want my feelings and memories to not change. Forever. And more importantly to every who's been supporting us until now, thank you very much!! From now on let's fly higher and higher together.

?/×??)

From today we will go to LA because of recording. We will train under Yoshiki-san's guidance. Please look forward to and wait for the next song!! In addition, please read Mr. Inoue's page for the LA journal!

Toshiya first nude!!!

I also had this period (laughs)

So embarrassing~ (laughs)

Congratulations on your marraige Chara-san!

I hope you two will be happy (laughs)

Drop in sometimes! (The person on the right was the engineer of "I'll")

This time it ends here. Did you enjoy it? On January 20 the singles were finally released at the same time. To the who haven't listened to it, please listen to it! If possible please seriously listen to it with the volume on loud! Well, let's rendezvous again at the "Aibiki no Mori"!!!

Translator's Notes:

1. Gy?tan (???) is a Japanese food that is made from grilled beef tongue. The word gy?tan is a combination of the Japanese word for cow (?, gy??) and the English word tongue. Since gy?tan literally means "cow tongue," the word is also used to refer to cow tongues in Japan. The custom of cooking gy?tan originated in Sendai in 1948, and is usually served with barley rice, tail soup, and pickles in the Sendai area.

2. Dorayaki (????, ????, ????, ????) is a type of Japanese confection which consists of two small pancake-like patties made from castella wrapped around a filling of sweet red bean paste.

3. The numbers that Toshiya was referring to in the column was this line of random numbers that divided the column into the top and bottom sections. Please refer to the original.

Kyo's Corner (Announcement)

Among the postcards sent to Kyo’s Akuma ka Warumono ka, there was one that seemed to have lies written on it, as long as that kind of fan is there, this corner is spoiled/ruined and I am enraged.

I was so angry and shock that I opened a hole in the wall, and after that I never spoke anything about the fanclub

Because of that this corner is on a break.

What a nuisance

SEXUAL Inoue LA Diary

"a knot" told me that anything is fine so write anything about the LA recording so I am seated in front of a typewriter, well, I don't have a typewriter! Typewriters are old! So hello. This is the manager, Atsushi Inoue.

After Budokan finished and after the storm of <interviews, photoshoots>, before coming to LA, in order to concretize the sound as much as possible, everyone was confined to the studio. Then to LA ---- then again at Narita (international airport) there were a couple of fans...(mid-November was written on the flyer that was distributed at Budokan. Fail.Fail) but since everyone sent us off without causing any inconvenience we were relieved as we got on the plane...ah~(roughly 10 hours)~later we arrived in LA.

Then we had a meal together with the local coordinator and co. -- we had Lunch Time at a pretty clean looking pizza and pasta restaurant. As expected of America, the volume was incredible. The food and also the lady next to us...sorry...but the Beer was delicious.

Then we checked-in in the hotel, and was surprised when we got to our rooms. It was big big. It also had a kitchen. Yey (but at this time I didn't think that in the end I would sleep in the room and go home since I couldn't cook...sigh)

We placed our things, and everyone gathered together! We went to the studio ---and was surprised, it was big big. The studio and also the meeting room. After waiting for awhile, we had a pretty brief meeting with Mr. YOSHIKI and the engineers, foreign staff etc. (about the equipment and flow etc), It seems that there will be a break once per week. Lucky (But...at this time I didn't think that the first week was a photoshoot, the second week was a break but from the third week there was no break...sigh) (Recording flow is everyone plays the music together, then Drums?Bass?Guitar?Guitar?Vocal - this seems to be the basic flow but there are times when the Guitar follows after Drums, and times when Vocals are added soon after just the rhythm is recorded. There are also times when they are working on the next song while the Vocalist is recording. So it seemed like it wasn't definite that it would follow this order. )

After the meeting finished the busy Mr. YOSHIKI wasn't able to come eat with us after but the members and me and the office people, recording company people and the coordinator went to get food -- Even in LA there are quite a lot of sushi restaurants where we had Dinner Time but as expected it lacked something/wasn't the greatest...but the beer was delicious. Thus the first day ended with this.

From now was the real part, the second day in LA, for the meantime all of the members worked on "Akuro no Oka". They took a recording of it playing together while choosing instruments and equipments. This took one whole day. LA third day based on what was recorded the previous day, recording started from drums. This took one whole day.

Fourth day bass recording while playing along with the drums of the previous day. This took one whole day. Fifth day guitar (Die) recording while playing along with the sounds recorded until the previous day. This took one whole day.

*By the way the members were at the studio and saying things like this and that and did individual practice while somebody else was recording.

The next day was a day off from the studio, and was a photoshoot day for Dir en grey. From early morning we were at cameraman Mr. William Hames' studio for make-up. Then downtown and on rooftops, under the bridge, railway tracks etc...there were also pretty dangerous areas, foreigners were looking at us oddly, and it was pretty unbelievable/awesome. The photoshoot finished at dusk. "My legs hurt." ???Shinya

Then we went to get food --- it was a pretty famous steak restaurant where he had DinnerTime. It was a restaurant with only courses, even if I was full before the meat came when it appeared it was big big!. I wasn't able to finish it but the Vocalist not only ate meat but also a big lobster. After finishing desert we went to the hotel -- "I ate everything that was in front of my eyes. The lobster was delicious." ???Kyo

Then recording day again, Kaoru the Guitarist's recording. The next day too.

One day during the first week, coming home from the studio at midnight everyone went shopping at a big supermarket (there was a big refrigerator, stove, oven, dishwasher etc. in the hotel) everyone bought a lot of different things. One person got large ice cream, then another person got large meat, then another person got large potato chips etc???"Ice cream is the best"???Shinya

The first week, it was Mr. Yoshiki's birthday so the members, staff and studio people all celebrated with champagne. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"???Dir en grey

This is the second week. All of the members began with pre-production for "Yurameki" a song that they haven't finished yet at the same time with the vocal recording of "Akuro no Oka"!?

Two people were down during the "Yurameki" pre-production First it was Kaoru who didn't speak much when we arrived in LA, when I placed a hand on his forehead, it was pretty hot. When I thought about it he was fast asleep and slept in the room on the 2nd day. By the way at this time, he didn't seem to have an appetite so the coordinator and I went to a Japanese store and bought medicine, rice, instant curry, instant congee, miso soup etc.., I brought it to his room and Kaoru-kun in his room seemed pretty lonely. "Kukure Curry was the best"???Kaoru

Then the next day after he got better and went back to work, Toshiya was down. He also slept in his room for two days. This time too I went to the Japanese store.

Getting harmony was this difficult! There is a considerable amount of vocal harmony (voice singing in chorus) included in "Akuro no Oka" "Yurameki" but the equipment that we used at that time was awesome because there was only two in the world, it was too great! It was that kind of equipment but it was troublesome because when the Vo would sing a little bit it would stop and then everything would become confusing, and caused the Vo to get in a bad mood. "I the Hakaider will hakai you (I the destroyer will destroy you)"???Kyo

Design check on the internet is di?ffi?cult There are various different design related things such as the jacket design, card, poster etc, the members would think about it together, and faxing the rough draft design was difficult, so in order to properly see the color and form it has to be through the internet. This was also troublesome since this was three singles the size was too big and it easily won't come. Printouts also took time and we had to redo it several times so it pretty much took a lot of time. "It's finally here~it finally came~"???Toshiya The sole holiday In LA there was only one day break, and it was the most important holiday in America, "Thanksgiving". The studio was on a break. And believe it or not Universal Studios where we wanted to go was also on a break???it seems that on this day the whole of America is on holiday and everyone is at home???boohoohoo???then again since Yoshiki invited us to eat turkey at his house on the previous day, everyone was treated to good food. It was really delicious. "Only 15 more minutes???only one more???Let's finish it with this"???Die

Shopping GO!GO!GO! The members didn't really have much of a chance to go out so when they found some time they would go out to shop. (Not all 5 members???) I think they shopped a lot at Tower Records? On the day of mastering (the day before they go back to Japan) even for a short time went and shopped at the stores in front of the Universal Studios entrance and a big department store, Melrose Avenue but everyone bought only CDs. (Well there was a person who bought clothes and accessories) "I bought a ring but it was also sold in Marui"???Kaoru

The local staff and engineer and studio staff were as expected all foreigners so I thought that I should work harder on English but the recording engineer Mr. STAN KATAYAMA was Japanese and was pretty laid back but he was fan and the members seemed to have had an easy time recording. But the instrument technician and other staff everyone were foreigners. We sort of had a hard time with the finer details. "I will study English."???Die

Local coordinator? Mr. GEORGE The whole time during the LA recording Mr. GEORGE (ex. LADIES ROOM) was in the studio and taught us different things. (English, music, billiards, muscle, games, grit/determination, that thing, this thing, and until that thing???) he really helped us. He brought us along shopping and even called us because he bought a Xmas tree in his room (together with Guitar, Guitar, Bass) At that time he showed us the last scene of Armaggedon, at any rate thank you very much. "Aah, how are you president?"???Toshiya

Best Producer There was a lot of surprising and interesting things about Yoshiki. I think that we are still indebted to him, we will be counting on him even from now on.

"Thank you very much. We will be counting on you." (in harmony)???Dir en grey

Translator's Notes:Kyo was referring to "Hakaider" who was a character featured in the movie

Mechanical Violator Hakaider (????????? Jinz? Ningen Hakaid?)

NEWS L.A. Edition

Kyo…having a hard time!!! We have new information about Kyo. A tragedy has occurred. After spilling oil and making his kitchen sticky, he recklessly threw his garbage and the oil further spilled all over his kitchen. We still don’t know whatever happened to him.

Birthday Guessing 12 Choice Game Big Break

It seems that a birthday guessing game seems to be popular around the members.

Example

1 March 2 September 3 June

12 *…

A deer appeared in the hotel!

Shinya walking alone angry!?

?/?, Shinya who was annoyed at Manager Sexual Inoue over a trivial matter went home alone until the hotel. Because of that the manager further got mad at him. As if to add insult to injury…

Exclusive Scoop Toshiya! Incident in Italy

An incident happened to Toshiya who went to an Italian church for a certain PV shooting in 1998 (or caused an incident). That church does not allow people to bare their legs, (because it is against God), and Toshiya who was completely unaware of that appeared in the church with his bare legs with abandon. There area was in uproar. In the end Toshiya spent his waiting time with his legs wrapped in a cloth.

Kaoru, W face to face meeting!

Sources say that Kaoru was thrilled by the W face to face meeting. The first one was a face to face meeting with Asuka from “Evangelion”. It seems that Bay FM planned it in secret and called her to appear in the show. Regarding this incident, Kaoru commented “Oh my~, I was surprised”. The other one was a face-to-face meeting with Shiina Ringo at Music Station (a music show). If you even look at Kaoru’s corner you’d know that he is pretty into her and expressed his joy on their first meeting.

Die, mysterious behavior!?

An uncanny incident occurred since “aknot” started. Die drank alcohol and was drunk, mistaking it for his shoes, he tried wearing a bag on one foot and a magazine on the other foot. After getting some more information, he was grunting and thought that those were shoes and struggled with it to a considerable degree.

#haiiro no ginka

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lildevyl · 5 years ago

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AntiSepticeye/BlankGamePlays Theory

Hello all my fiends in the JSE & Markiplier Communities! I’m back with another theory! I know it’s been a while since I did one. But sadly it’s not my JJ Theory, though I will have one on him! I promise! No, this one is about another JSE Ego and about an Ego of Teamiplier. As you can see from the title I’m going to doing a theory in the CrankyCrew/JSE Community.

That’s right this theory is all about AntiSepticeye and BlankGamePlays. Ethan Nestor aka CrankGamePlays alter ego. Okay, I have this theory and it's been itching at the back of my mind for a few days now. But, before I begin, all videos and video clips, all credit goes to YouTuber Circus Tangle (Tangle Hamain) she does Ego theories mostly Jacks. And also to @zoydent for their incredible editing! Feel free to click on the links to watch them yourself if you like!

Also, thanks to @kate807, @chaotic-cheshire, and @xakumi for letting me know who it was in the Kitchen! It really helped with this theory! So, thank you very much for your help!

Okay, so here is my theory and feel free to tell me if I’m pulling this out of left field here, but I think I know why Jack’s been “acting out of character” these past couple of Christmas Charity Live Streams. I think it’s AntiSepticeye trying to bring out CrankGamePlays alter ego BlankGamePlays. I know, I know. It’s a little ridiculous but hear me out first! I have photos and video clips for evidence!

From JackSepticeye Holiday Live Stream Part I towards the end. Take a look at Ethan and PJ.

They look a lot alike! Similar build, hairstyle, glasses, figure. Ethan is only a couple of inches shorter than PJ. Why do I bring this up you ask? This first video is from a year and half ago. It's clips of Anti and all of the jump-scares in #OverNightWatch. Now, the reason why I bring this up is because this where I think it all started. Or at least this Charity Live Stream. #Jackthehalls. The JackSepticeye Holiday Live Stream Part I and Part II.

This is one of the jump-scares. The camera glitches and the lights flickered a couple of hours before PJ came in. Then the camera glitched again when PJ came in. Now, look. Large kitchen knife, stabbing the table? Then the camera glitched again and PJ was eating his waffles like nothing happened. Why do I bring this up you may ask and point out the similarities of Ethan and PJ? The reason why is because we were all seeing Anti throughout the whole #OverNightWatch. I think Anti accidentally mistaken PJ for Ethan!

I know what you thinking! Or at least I can picture some of you with you rolling your eyes at me for this! But then there is the JackSepticeye Holiday Live Stream Part II!

Jack is wearing all black. A little knife on the shirt as well. And the infamous point/pose that Anti made famous in Say Goodbye. After Jack realized he forgot his jumper and went to put it on. We see AntiSepticeye in the window from the infamous KJSE Video (Kill JackSepticeye 8:48).

Then later on in the stream we get the infamous “Anti’s Gift”. And look who has it, Ethan!

Now, take a look at Jack’s expression.

Okay, that reminds me a bit of Anti there.

Then during the whole exchange Jack kept making sure no one said who it was from. Everyone kept giving hints but Jack kept looking right at Ethan. Especially when Jack said, “Somebody really likes knives.”

Okay now, I know a lot of you are probably saying “But Lil Devyl! That’s just part of the story! The one that Jack’s making!” Okay, I hear, ya! But I also have another piece of evidence! From this past December Live Stream. #Thankmas. All credit for this goes to Circus Tangle for pointing this out because even I missed it!

Link here if you want to watch the video yourself.

Ethan is there. Going right up to the camera and asking everyone to donate to the charity. Or if they can’t then reblog or retweet about the stream and the charity. During this time, Jack being modest tries to play it off. But look, Anti senses his distress and starts to take over. Heavy breathing and then . . .

Does this look familiar to anyone?

Yep! Quit The Game To Win! It was nine days after the stream!!!!!

Now, getting back to the theory. Ethan was there at both times!!!! Both times Ethan was there when Anti made his appearance through Jack! Coincidence? Maybe, so. Am I reading too much into this? Possibly.

But we also need to put in a little perspective here is that there is some similarity between BlankGamePlays and Anti.

Completely Black Eyes.

Glitches.

Wanting to “Delete a Character”

Dark persona of oneself.

Yes, Ethan even admitted to Blank being his “Dark Alter Ego.” And I think this is why Anti is trying to bring BlankGamePlays out. There’s only and I do mean only, 8 videos that have BlankGamePlays and many fans in the CrankyCrew are asking for more. Are asking Ethan to make him canon.

Darkiplier, has been around since 2k12. AntiSepticeye, it’s debatable if it’s 2k13 or 2k14.

I think Anti wants BlankGamePlays to come out because remember what Anti said in KJSE? “You found someone new. Someone to replace me.” What if Anti wasn’t talking about Darkiplier like we all thought and assumed? What if it was BlankGamePlays and Anti is trying to tell us he is in control. Of Jack and Blank?

Well, that does it for this theory. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Tagging: @septic-dr-schneep, @egopocalypse, @weirdmixofweirdness, @isa-ghost, @dolphintreasureart, @d-structive, @thevampireauthoress, @the-scribe-watches, @dezzydynamite, @a-humble-narcissus, @jackjames-exe, @jacksepticeyetheorist, @burnbrightfadefast, @starlightxnightmare, @starlightstarfight, @nightfuryobsessed, @epicfangirl01, @julywinters, @kisstheashes, @kasper-the-ghost, @fear-is-nameless, @huffletrax, @sarcastic-pasta-games, @therealjacksepticeye, @crankgameplays

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roadtripwiththewinchesters-blog · 7 years ago

Text

S1E2 - Wendigo (Chapter 2)

A/N:

We’re back with the next part of Wendigo. I have so much fun writing these, I hope you enjoy them x

*All GIFs I use are credited at the bottom*

Word count: 1987

Summary: You meet up with Sam and Dean in a bar and inform them of the case you’ve found in Blackwater Ridge, a string of missing campers brushed off as bear attacks. The three of you go to talk to Mr Shaw, the only known survivor of an attack in the fifties. Sam and Dean disagree on what to do next.

10th Nov, 2005

Sam’s skin was golden brown from the Californian sun, his hair longer than I had ever seen it, a tangled mop that he had to brush out of his eyes. He still smelled the same. People were watching us embrace but I didn’t care. It had been an entire year.

“Hey,” my voice came out as less than a whisper.

“Hey.”

“Where’s Dean?” I breathed into his shoulder.

“Parking the Impala.”

“I’m so sorry, Sam” I rasped. I pulled away only to read his expression. He gave me a small smile for effort. We both knew there was nothing I could say, even as his best friend.

“Thanks for being here.”

“I should have come as soon as Dean called-” I began.

“Hey,” he stopped me. “You don’t have to explain, you’ve got your own life.” And you had yours, I thought. Dean had told me he’d missed his law school interview. What was he planning to do now? He had given up too much to go to Stanford for it to result to nothing, but that was a conversation for another time.

My eyes wandered over his shoulder to the door, where his brother had just walked in. Sam cleared his throat and stepped aside for Dean to greet me.

I supressed a smile as a grin spread across his face. “Hey.”

“Hey Kid,” Dean chuckled, pulling me into him eagerly. I knew he meant well but I bit my lip at his term of endearment for me, he may as well have ruffled my hair and offered me a lollipop. “I owe you one for coming so soon,” he said in my ear.

“You don’t owe me anything,” I assured him. “I wanted to come. If anything…” I said sitting down across from them, “I think I owe you a beer for St. Louis.” I reminded him, sliding them both a bottle across the table, sipping my own generously.

“Ah, the pool game,” he nodded, remembering. I had only seen Dean look at waitresses the way he looked at that beer, practically drooling as he cracked it open. “Your debt is paid.”

We sat there for a moment sipping.

“So, anything?” Dean asked, ready to talk business.

I sighed, and shook my head. “It’s not what you want to hear.”

Sam placed his father’s journal out on the table, my eyes widened at the sight of John’s prized possession.

“He gave that to you?” I hissed, propping myself up on my elbows. I had only seen the journal a handful of times, I had never dared asked John to take a look.

Dean shook his head in a grave sort of way. “We found it at the motel in Jericho.”

I exhaled, sitting back in my chair. “He just left it there? No call? No note?”

“Only the message about “being careful”, but other than that,” Dean confirmed. “Nada. Just the coordinates of this place.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” I concluded, tying my hair back. “I’ve been poking around here for days. I don’t think he’s ever stepped foot in Lost Creek.”

“Well, what are we still doing here then?” Dean asked, clasping his beer.

I smacked a stack of newspapers on the table, my eyebrow raised.

“I don’t know how your dad knew, but there’s definitely something in this town,” I confirmed. “Blackwater Ridge doesn't exactly get a lot of traffic. Local campers, mostly. But this past April, two hikers went missing out there. They were never found.” Both Winchesters listened intently as I continued. “I thought that was weird, but I didn’t think it was our kinda gig until I did some more digging,” spinning the paper around for them to see the headline.

“It happened before in 1982,” Sam deducted as he skimmed the page. “Eight different people all vanished in the same year. Authorities said it was a grizzly attack.”

I put paper after paper in front of them. “And again in ‘59 and again before that in 1936.”

Dean scan-read the page, running a hand over his mouth in thought.

“Every twenty-three years,” I shook my head, not knowing what to make of my observation. “Just like clockwork. First, I thought spirit, but all those bodies vanishing? And what kind of creature works on a schedule?”

I was stumped. I needed their help.

“I went to see a girl - Haley Collins – her brother Tommy is one of the missing campers. She said he hasn’t checked in for three days.” Dean was about to open his mouth so I added. “He has a satellite phone.” He shut it abruptly.

“He sends her pictures, videos every day,” I eyed the two brothers. “Their parents are gone so they keep close tabs on each other. Check your emails, Sam. I forwarded you one of the videos.” He was already pulling it up on his laptop. He played it through once.

Tommy was in his tent, recording by lamplight. “Hey Haley, day six, we're still out near Blackwater Ridge. We're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry, okay? Talk to you tomorrow.” I watched Sam’s reaction carefully, seeing if he would notice what I had. The shadow ran across the screen for a split second, and Sam glanced at me nervously.

“Slow it down,” I told him.

He restarted the clip, clicking through the frames. The quality wasn’t great but the dark shadow, long and gangly, was unmistakable as it passed behind Tommy’s tent.

“That's three frames. That's a fraction of a second,” Sam remarked. The hairs on my arms stood up like they had the first time I had seen it. “Whatever that thing is, it can move.”

“We have another problem,” I said. I was in neck deep. “Haley’s hired a guy to take her out there tomorrow morning, she’s set on finding Tommy herself.”

“We’ll do what we have to,” Sam said. I nodded but Dean glanced at his brother.

“Good news is, we have a lead,” I said, turning the paper over. “In fifty-nine one camper survived this supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. Barely crawled out of the woods alive.” Dean looked between Sam and me, “Is there a name?”

“Look, ranger, I don't know why you're asking me about this,” Mr Shaw said, muffled with a cigarette between his lips. I followed behind Sam and Dean into the old man’s apartment, ignoring the scent of smoke and mold. “It's public record. I was a kid. My parents got mauled by a—

“Grizzly?” Sam finished for him. “That’s what attacked them?”

Mr Shaw faced us, drawing hard on the cigar and nodding slowly.

“The other people that went missing that year, those bear attacks too?” Dean questioned, approaching him in his armchair. “What about all the people that went missing this year? Same thing?”

“Dean,” I said, reminding him to be tactful. This wasn’t an interrogation. The man had been through a lot, regardless of how long ago it was. You could see how it had affected the rest of his life just by the state of his apartment.

“If we knew what we were dealing with, we might be able to stop it,” Dean tried again.

“I seriously doubt that,” Shaw said. I could see why he would think that about us, we didn’t exactly look like rangers. “Anyway, I don't see what difference it would make. You wouldn't believe me. Nobody ever did.”

I tried my hand at coaxing his story out, sitting across from him. I offered him the smallest of smiles. “Please, Sir. Tell us what you saw.”

He paused. “Nothing. It moved too fast to see. It hid too well. I heard it, though. A roar. Like...no man or animal I ever heard.”

“It came at night?” I asked.

Sam sat beside me, clinging to his every word. “Got inside your tent?”

“It got inside our cabin,” Shaw corrected him. “I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window or break the door. It unlocked it. Do you know of a bear that could do something like that? I didn't even wake up till I heard my parents screaming.”

“It killed them?” I exhaled regretfully.

“Dragged them off into the night,” he confirmed. I glanced at Sam, who looked as sick as I felt.

“It left me with this-” Shaw reached for his collar but glanced at me, apprehensive. “I’m not sure you would want to see this,” he warned me. People often tried to tell me what I could and couldn’t handle, I had a stronger stomach that people credited me for.

“Please,” I said, giving him a nod of assurance. He reluctantly pulled down the neck of his shirt revealing four grotesque scars down his chest. I gulped but otherwise didn’t react out of courtesy. Sam and Dean studied them from a distance, and Shaw slowly adjusted his shirt. I could have sworn the old man looked ashamed. I found myself leaning closer, my expression softening when suddenly he reached forward and snatched my arm. I stifled a gasp. Dean and Sam lurched out of instinct but I gestured for them to relax. I wasn’t afraid of him, he just took me by surprise.

“There’s something evil in those woods. Some sort of demon,” the old man warned me. “You be careful.”

We navigated our way out of the grey maze of his apartment building, I walked in front, my cheeks involuntarily warm with embarrassment. Fortunately, we had more important things to worry about.

“Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. If they want inside, they just go through the walls,” Dean noted.

“So it's probably something else,” Sam concluded. “Something corporeal.”

Dean stopped walking, “Corporeal? Excuse me, professor.”

“Shut up,” Sam rolled his eyes. “So what do you think?”

“The claws, the speed that it moves...could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog,” Dean suggested.

“Hm, I don’t know Dean,” I said as we found ourselves outside in the cool night air. “Skinwalker maybe, it could’ve unlocked the door in its human form.”

“Whatever we're talking about, it's corporeal. Which means we can kill it.”

My truck was parked around the block beside the Impala. Dean made his way around to the trunk and propped open the weapons box with a shotgun.

“So, what’s the plan?” I asked, leaning against the side door.

“We cannot let that Haley girl go out there,” Sam decided.

“Oh yeah?” Dean raised an eyebrow, shoving some ammo into his duffel bag. “What are we gonna tell her? That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?”

“Yeah,” Sam said. Dean went still, staring at his brother. “If we have to,” I agreed with the younger Winchester, directing Dean’s stare to me. It might be the only way to keep her safe. “I could try to talk to her, I think she trusts me.”

“Her brother's missing. I don’t think there’s anything you can say, Y/N,” Dean said, his eyes skimming over his own brother. “She's not gonna just sit this out. No. We go with her, we protect her, and we keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy predator friend.”

Dean swung the duffel bag over his shoulder, walking around the car. I was content to go along with the eldest Winchester, my own forte being ghosts, and vengeful spirits.

But suddenly, Sam was raising his voice, “Finding dad’s not enough?” He slammed the trunk shut, glaring at his brother. “Now we gotta babysit too?”

I remained where I was, watching both of them, quickly feeling as if I was invading something private.

Dean stared right back at him, deciding what his problem was.

“What?” Sam said defensively.

“Nothing.” Dean shrugged, throwing his duffel at him before turning to me. “Coming?”

“Yeah, I’m right behind you,” I said. Sam scoffed as Dean walked away contently. That was one thing I had forgotten from my time apart from the Winchester brothers, they tended to disagree on an awful lot. I didn’t want to take sides, but I muttered, “You can ride with me if you want.”

GIF CREDITS:

1. @lancetucker

2. @demondetoxmanual

#supernatural #sam winchester #dean winchester #fanfic #o/c #john winchester #wendigo #1.02 #haley collins #sam x reader #dean x reader

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