#//also Harte is making it look bad for him on purpose he loves attention

[harteofthehart-ayyy]

guess everyone on this website is in denial over their gayness with their roommates smh (/lh)

Dude he has a fiancé and I’m like. Extremely not into him that way. I thought I was the one who’s supposed to be commenting on the people in denial over their gayness with their roommates! Because I’m not in denial!

[jessehart]

basics

Full name: Jesse Ivan Hart Nicknames: Jess Gender: cismale Pronouns: he/him Birthday: August 18, 2001 Zodiac: leo sun, leo moon, taurus rising Sexual orientation: exploring Marital status: single Teams/clubs: captain of the lacrosse team, pre-med society

character inspo

Logan Huntzberger (Gilmore Girls), Dylan McKay (Beverly Hills 90210), Logan Echolls (Veronica Mars), Nathan Scott (One Tree Hill), Zuko (Avatar the Last Airbender)

backstory stuff

Jesse was born and raised in LA. (You can read more about his family here.) He had a very hands-off upbringing which left him seeking attention in every way he could get it. And considering he could never do anything right in his father's eyes, those ways were generally unfavorable because that was all that ever seemed to get a reaction.

But he did manage to make a name for himself in school, throwing parties in his big, empty house and stealing a prescription pad from his step-mom when he was 16, writing scripts for his peers (and anyone who could pay) and earning himself the moniker 'the candy man'.

Facing expulsion when he was inevitably caught, his father threw money at the problem, and it went away. Not for the first time and likely not for the last, and never because it helped Jesse out. Donovan Hart would have loved to throw his son to the wolves if it wouldn't also look bad on his own public image.

Choosing a college on the opposite coast was a no-brainer, and it's really where he shined. Keeping a purposeful distance between himself and everyone else, he put forth his greatest creation: a version of himself that was palatable to other people. He was the party guy, the for-a-good-time-call guy, the down-for-whatever who knew where to find all the best parties. And maybe it was hollow, but it was still better.

ogden '22

The Jesse that returned to Ogden for the fall semester was not the same one that left for summer. He was more antagonistic, like he was purposefully trying to make people hate him.

He goaded Nate into punching him and then name-dropped him to the police during initial sitdowns. When Nate learned about that, he paid Jesse a visit and choked him out in the middle of the hallway in the Alcott dorms. Lots of people saw, no one cared.

Jesse realized Jacqui was enrolled at Ogden and was wholly convinced it was only because they were the brunt of a terrible bet he made a couple years before and they wanted to make him pay for the things he'd done.

His partying started to get a little out of control, but no one really seemed to notice. He kept it in check pretty well

During a confrontation with Greer's boyfriend, he alluded to Greer being in contact with him over the summer even though she hadn't been because he's an asshole who couldn't stand the idea that she might have ghosted him

During homecoming, he kissed Parker after two years of skirting around their attraction toward each other, and then he ended the night with Jacqui, who spent the night with him at the dorm he shared with Parker. He then proceeded to act like he didn't remember his kiss with Parker because he's a coward and can't even own up to his own self-sabotaging, and things were tense and strained between them for a while.

Greer's boyfriend sucker punched Jesse at a dorm party. Lots of people saw, no one cared

Jacqui and Jesse made a tenuous truce and Jesse sort of apologized for the things he'd done and Jacqui was too nice of a person to punch him in the face like he deserved and instead, they moved forward as friends of sorts

Word got back to Mari that Jesse had talked to Greer over the summer and she told her father who told the police, so Jesse was called into a second interview with the cops

During a school-wide blackout, Jesse was absolutely sure he saw Greer pass by a window. He's since chalked it up to drugs, but he does wonder...

During casino night, Jesse's father got into his head and Jesse got absolutely blitzed. Between the coke and the alcohol and the angst, he found himself on stage at some point in the night, making a coked-up speech and poking fun at his father. His dad didn't like that very much and got him outside alone and handled the situation the way he always liked to behind closed doors: with his fists. Only, Nate spotted them and stepped in. Jesse and Nate deciding to put aside their differences for the night (because they were both learning there were far fewer of them than they'd originally thought), went to an underground fight ring where Nate fought and let himself get beat unconscious. Jesse drove him to the hospital, stayed the whole night, and paid the bill on the way out. The intention was for Nate never to know he'd done any of those things.

During a haunted house, Jesse found a piece of what appeared to be Greer's journal, but with too many of the words crossed out or unreadable, there was no telling exactly what it meant

The time capsule videos were leaked and three of the entries had mentioned him indirectly and for the most part, they were not favorable. He felt kind of boo-hoo about it tbh

He received a letter in Greer's unmistakable handwriting and he got super drunk about it and banged on Mari's door and he finally talked a little about how he felt with Greer with someone, and... a sort of friendship began?

Jesse went into an interview with the cops for a third time and it did not go well

A confrontation with Jacqui went very poorly because they voiced their feelings and Jesse's own self-loathing made it impossible to be anything but absolutely horrible to them. And after they accused him of not being able to love anyone, it sort of went to his head

In an effort to prove everyone wrong, and because he was tired of acting like he didn't want the things he wanted, he and Parker made things official between them on New Years Eve

The celebrating was short lived, though. During the storm at the ski resort, Jesse and Diego went out to another chalet to find supplies and instead, found another page of Greer's diary and a creepy pap-style photo of Greer with her eyes crossed out

tasks

Family

Initial sitdowns

Follow-up interview

Haunted house

Time capsule video

Third interview

[connorandersons-blog]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Connor/Gavin Reed, Hank Anderson & Connor Additional Tags: Pride, Pride Parades, Nonbinary Character, Bisexual Character, Gay Male Character, Hank is an ally, Good Parent Hank Anderson, First Kiss, Coming Out, Gay Disaster Gavin Reed, Gavin Reed Being Less of an Asshole, Connor Deserves Happiness, Deviant Connor, Post-Pacifist Best Ending ,Gay Disaster Connor

Summary:

Connor comes out to Hank who takes it very well and decides to take his android son to his first ever pride parade. Connor wasn't expecting to see a certain coworker there and what happened after he did.

-----------------------------------

He knew it was silly to be so nervous, acceptance of the queer community had gone up quite a bit, but there was still so many people who hated them. Who’d hate Connor, but he had to believe Hank wouldn’t be one of them. The man was one of his closest friends, he saw him as a father figure, but Hank could be a little old fashioned on some things. He had really hoped this wouldn’t be one of them. 

He had made Hank dinner that night, not fancy at all, just food he knew Hank would love. He sat at the table watching him eat, trying not to tap on it when Hank told him to just spit it out. 

“I’m bisexual,” he blurted, ducking his head. It wasn’t the only thing, but this was more accepted than the other thing he needed to say. 

Hank took a second, putting his food down which said a lot. “Thanks for telling me, kid. I know I can be… fucking stubborn but I fully accept you, no matter who you love.” 

Connor smiled and opened his mouth to speak before closing it again. He tried again and again until finally the words came out. “I’m also non-binary.” 

“Alright, that’s cool too, you wanna go by a new name? Oh and pronouns, what do you want?” Hank picked up his fork and took another bite, watching Connor carefully. 

“I like everything as it is now! I like my current pronouns and name. I just… I know I’m not a guy? But I’m ok with being called one. I kind of want to try feminine clothing but I also like my current clothes.” It had been so confusing, still was honestly but he felt comfortable with saying he was non-binary 

Hank nodded, smiling slightly and reaching out to pat his arm. “That’s alright kid, you do what makes you happy. Fuck knows the world needs some happy in it.” 

And that was that. Hank took him to the mall the next time they had off from work and let Connor pick out a few new clothes. It wasn’t much given their salaries but he still got two dresses, two skirts, a shirt, and a pair of heels. 

He was too terrified to wear any of it to work even though Hank promised no one there would be a dick about it. He didn’t say it outright but Connor could tell he was implying that Connor wasn’t alone in being queer. Connor did wonder who there was but apparently his ‘gaydar’ was subpar and he couldn’t tell with anyone. 

That was until Hank took him to his first ever pride parade. 

It shocked absolutely no one when the queer community welcomed androids with open arms, and the parade was filled with a wide range of people and android. Connor stared wide eyed at how big it all was, all the colors, all the scents from the food stalls, so many people. They were all dressed differently, some finally able to dress how they want and Connor is no different. 

He had decided on one of his skirts, a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows to keep cool. He had decided to not wear the heels given there would be so many people and he didn’t want to stumble or step on anyone. 

Hank and him found a good spot to watch the parade and Connor felt so light and jittery. There was this energy in the air of complete acceptance and joy that Connor couldn’t stop smiling. Even Hank had grinned a bit seeing Connor so happy, pointing out different areas of the parade. There was the vendor area, the food area, and the main parade route. It was all in or right near Hart Plaza so there was plenty of room to just stand and talk with friends too away from the parade. 

Connor got quite a few compliments from those around him, and each time made him blush and duck his head. He almost didn’t see him going by because of it, but he glanced up and there he was. 

He didn’t know what organization he was walking with, but Gavin Reed was strutting down the road like he owned it. He had a rainbow flag on like a cape but that certainly wasn’t what caught his attention. No, that was the chest harness, pants so low and open that it showed off the trail of hair down towards his crotch and if the pants were any lower everyone would be able to see his dick. He also wore very tall boots that had at least nine inch heels. The collar he had on was leather and had a chain attached to it that he held, but he let some take in and drag him along with a laugh. 

He had rainbow eyeshadow, silver eyeliner, and fake lashes on. Not to mention the amount of glitter that had already gotten all over him. He looked damn good and Connor’s jaw was on the ground. 

He was so used to seeing Gavin hidden behind slightly baggy clothes, his leather jacket too, hiding how wide his shoulders really were. At work he kept himself hunched a bit but now he had his back straight and looked so confident. 

Gavin didn’t see him or Hank, and Connor was far too distracted by the sight of him to see Hank’s raised eyebrow at Connor with a small smirk on his face. 

The person beside him noticed Connor’s expression, snorted and bumped his shoulder. “Good choice, he’s always a favorite, comes every year.” 

Comes every year? To��� pride. That meant Gavin was queer in some way? Or maybe he was just a very enthusiastic ally. “I, yeah, wow.” Was all he managed to get out before shaking himself. He tried to focus on the rest of the parade but soon Hank was dragging him towards the food stalls. 

Hank almost spit his new food out when someone came up to him and asked if he was single. Though, they also called him ‘daddy’ and Connor decided he’d rather never think of that ever again. Hank did knock over his drink, just a little close to the person which Connor saw as purposeful. 

“I’ll go get you a new one, Hank.” Connor said, patting his shoulder. 

“Yeah kid, I’ll go look at the vendors a bit while you do that. I thought I saw someone I knew.” Hank waved him off and Connor only tilted his head when he recognized the lie. It was fine, if Hank didn’t want to say why he was actually going over there. 

Connor jogged back to the stall they had gotten Hank’s lunch, waiting in line patiently for it. He laughed off the situation, but the person gave him a free replacement. 

Connor glanced around the crowd and suddenly it felt like too much. The heat was beating down on him, he was too aware of his clothes and the people accidentally brushing against him as they walked past. 

He moved quickly away, finding a nice big tree to lean against. Hank wouldn’t be upset if he took a few extra minutes, he’d probably think someone stopped Connor to talk once again. 

He wasn’t too far away, he could hear everything very clearly still, but the tree’s shade helped cool him down and he felt himself calming. That was until he heard someone walking up to him. He opened his eyes and looked at the man, he had a chest harness on like Gavin had but it didn’t look nearly as good on him. Not that appearance made much of a difference, it was still nice to see beautiful people. 

“Hey pretty boy… or girl, or whatever you are.” The man grinned, winking at Connor. It reminded him of Gavin trying to wink and it brought a grin to his face without thinking the man would think it was for him. “What are you doing all alone?” 

“I just got a bit overwhelmed,” he wasn’t sure what else to say. The man kept looking at his LED and licking his lips. Connor had a bad feeling but had no real evidence to back it up. Hank had taught him he didn’t always need evidence to be right. 

The man nods, stepping a little closer. “Aw, well I can keep you company. You know… you’re one of the few ‘droids that I’ve seen that’s kept their LED in. I like it, shows the real you.” 

From anyone else Connor may have taken it at face value but every scan showed the man was aroused and Connor felt even more uncomfortable. “I’d rather be alone. I'm… waiting for my boyfriend. Thank you, though.” 

“Come on baby boy, don’t be like that. I like your kind, don’t worry. I’m sure your boyfriend is willing to share.” He stepped forward again and Connor held his hand up to stop him. 

“I said no. Please leave me alone.” The panic was coming back, and he didn’t want to get violent. 

“I don’t see him around here either. Just a little fun, no one has to know.” The man was sneering now, and Connor got ready to run or defend himself. 

“He’s right here, jackass!” A voice said, and then an arm was going around Connor’s waist. Connor froze, glancing over to see Gavin Reed of all people glaring at the man. “Now get lost.”

Connor went along with it, leaning into Gavin, the heels making him taller than Connor, and even placing a hand over his chest like he was scared and needing comfort. He wouldn’t say anything, he didn't want the man to get aggressive. 

He glanced at Gavin, before scoffing. “I could give you so much more, but if you say so. Just come find me if you get tired of him.” 

Connor wouldn’t, they weren’t actually together, but he’d never go to someone like that. Gavin gently rubbed a hand up and down Connor’s side as they watched the man walk away. 

“Ok, can you take your hand off my chest now?” Gavin asked, letting go of Connor. 

He jumped back, face turning bright blue. “I’m sorry! And thank you, that could have gone a lot worse.” He smoothed down his shirt and skirt, running a hand through his curly hair. 

“Yeah, no problem dipshit. So you actually have a boyfriend or just wanted that creep gone?” Gavin leaned against the tree, showing off his very nice abs, and Connor tried not to follow the trail of hair down. 

“I don’t, Hank brought me here after I… came out.” It felt so odd to say, but Gavin was here too. “I went to get him a soda but it all got too much.” He picked up the drink, glad it hadn’t gotten knocked over with everything that had happened. 

Gavin nodded, rubbing his hands together almost anxiously. “Congrats then, takes a lot of guts to come out.” 

Beaming at him, Connor ducked his head quickly. “I was very nervous but Hank has been incredibly kind and supportive. Can I ask, well, are you here as an ally or…” he trailed off. 

Gavin actually laughed at that before motioning to himself. “Do I really look straight? Nah, I’m hella gay.” 

Of course, Connor couldn’t help but follow where his hands motioned, trying to not let on just how affected he was by Gavin’s appearance. “I’m bi, and non-binary,” he blurted, and even though he was still nervous to say it, it felt good too. He motioned down to his skirt, copying Gavin slightly. 

Gavin glanced at the skirt, smiling slightly. “That looks good on you, and thanks for telling me. Are you going by a new name or pronouns? I won’t use them at work obviously, unless you say so… not that we see each other outside of work.” 

“No, I like my name and I’m still using he pronouns. Thank you for asking.” He wished he could say they should spend time outside of work, but he could barely consider them friends. Gavin hadn’t been outright rude to him, their bickering was more good natured and teasing than anything else. 

“Cool cool, well you wanna go find Hank? Don’t want him thinking you got kidnapped or trampled in the ground.” Gavin pushed away from the tree, nodding back to the stalls. Connor followed after, watching how well Gavin walked in the heels even in the uneven grass. 

“This your first pride parade?” Gavin asked as they made their way back into the crowd. Connor reached out and very carefully put a hand on Gavin’s arm so they wouldn’t get separated. 

“It is, I love all the colors and happiness, you can just… feel it everywhere. It’s a lot of fun… I saw you in the parade and was a bit shocked, you know. Someone said you come every year?” If so then maybe they could make this a thing. They could come together, spend some time outside of work. 

Gavin grinned, waving at someone before nodding towards Connor. “I do, Tina comes with me normally but she had work. I came with Cecil Sunshine… or well that’s his drag name. He’s somewhere around here.” 

Oh. Well Tina wasn’t too much a surprise given the two were best friends but he’d never heard of the drag queen. Were they together? “I see, that sounds fun. I love your makeup, I’d love to learn to do that.” 

Gavin perked up even more, turning around to grab Connor’s hand. “I can teach you! If you want, of course, if we find Sunshine, she has my makeup.” 

Connor’s pump was pounding, having Gavin hold his hand, and he nodded mutely. He tried to clear his throat, glancing around. There were so many people, but off to the right side was a very large group. “What’s going on there?” 

Gavin looked over, then frowned. “Protesters. Those that can will surround them to protect the kids and everyone else from them. Wanna go see? If not it’s ok, I couldn’t be around them for a while, now I like messing with them.” 

Connor nodded and Gavin kept a hold of his hand as he led him over. He could hear those screaming about god and repenting, how unnatural this was. He could also see the signs, some of them were also specifically anti-android. 

“How do you mess with them?” He was pretty sure that they weren’t allowed to touch each other, which helped both sides. 

Gavin smirked a bit. “Find someone willing and kiss him right in front of them. Freaks them out a lot.” Gavin was looking around, probably trying to find someone that would be willing. 

“We could,” he mumbled, probably not loud enough for Gavin to hear over the yelling but his head whipping around said otherwise. “We don’t have to! I just, considering they are also anti-android it would add to the effect, right?” He reached up, tapping his LED. 

Gavin stared at him with wide eyes before grinning. “Definitely. Come on, let’s get to the front.” He dragged him forward, politely pushing his way through until they were right in front of the group. 

They stood so Connor’s LED was facing them, and Gavin carefully reached up to cup his cheek. It was clear he was giving him time to back out, but Connor wouldn't. Those that were queer or supporting started cheering realizing what was happening. 

Connor leaned up, pressing his lips against Gavin’s. They were warm and a bit wet given the lipstick he was wearing. It sent a buzz from his lips down his spine as he pressed closer. He ignored the anger shouts of the protesters and even the cheers, just focused on Gavin pressed against him. 

It was hard, and long, sweet and indulgent, over far too quickly. Gavin broke it, panting, and then pushed back in for another, this one far more heated. Connor grabbed the chain connected to the collar he wore, keeping him close that way. It got wolf-whistles and catcalls, all in good nature though. Connor reached to hold Gavin by his waist with his other hand, titling his head to help deepen the kiss, their tongues sliding together. 

They pulled back slowly, both grinning widely. It was Connor’s first kiss and one he would never forget, not that he could, given he was an android. “That was fun,” Connor giggled. Gavin nodded and dragged them away from the group, getting a few pats for the show. 

Once away Gavin paused, reaching up and swiping his thumb across Connor’s lips, he froze, licking his lips without thinking. His tongue brushed against Gavin’s thumb, and he stopped breathing. 

“Sorry… had lipstick on you.” Gavin murmured, pulling his hands away. 

Connor reached up to touch his own lips, feeling how they still tingled from the kiss and now from the touch. “It’s ok, I don’t mind. Listen Gavin, I-“ 

“Connor!” Hank called and he spun around to see the man come up. “Damn kid, I couldn’t find you anywhere. You good?” He glanced at Gavin who looked like he just got caught stealing. 

“I’m ok, Gavin found me and we messed with some protesters! Here’s your drink,” he held it out, smiling widely at Hank. 

“Huh. At least you didn’t get lost… I uh, got you something too.” Hank shrugged, trying to play it off nonchalantly. 

Connor tilted his head, seeing how Hank had one hand behind his back Connor figured he was hiding something. “Oh?” 

Hank shrugged again and held out a package. Connor gasped when he saw what it was, looking between them and Hank. “Thank you!” It was the non-binary flag. He could hang this up in his room! He stepped up and threw his arms around Hank, pulling him into a tight but quick hug. 

Hank glanced at Gavin who had a fond look on his face before it quickly turned into a scowl and he looked away. Connor saw none of that, but stepped back from Hank. “Yeah, no problem kid.” 

Connor showed the package to Gavin who gave him a small smile and nod. Then he glanced down, biting his lip before unclipping the flag and pulling it away. He hesitated only for a second before putting it over Connor’s shoulders, using the two holes meant to put it on the pole to clip it together to make a cape. 

Connor went completely still as Gavin did so, feeling like his thirium pump was pounding away in his chest. He brought a hand up to touch where it was clasped together, his fingers brushing over Gavin’s. 

“Happy pride, Connor,” Gavin muttered just loud enough for Connor to hear over the chaos around him. 

Connor could help but beam at him, touched beyond words. He felt so loved here, so accepted by people who didn’t even know him, by Hank and Gavin. It was one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. “Happy pride, Gavin.”

(my art do not repost)

[silver-wield]

FF7R: Cloud’s hyper vigilance

Since this has come up a few times in the last couple of days I figured I'd stick it all in one place so everyone can see just how differently Cloud behaved pre and post sim cut scene.

Ok, spoiler warning for ppl who haven’t played – do I still need to do this? Eh ok, (I tag FF7R spoilers as final fantasy 7 remake spoilers) and it’s gonna be long.

Also, this is one person’s interpretation of the scene, so if you disagree that’s cool and we’ll agree to disagree.

You’re also gonna have to excuse the janky quality on some of the screens, I’m grabbing them from Youtube and it’s frustrating af trying to get the exact moment I want. Idk why they’re blurry or different sizes this time, so sorry about that and just bear with me.

Please check my master post to see if I've already covered your question, thanx

Let's mosey!

Before Cloud sees the love of his life run through by Sephiroth, he is attentive towards her, which we already knew, but he wasn't overly attentive. He looked to her to make sure she was ok, but he trusted that she'd be ok without him watching her every move.

Cloud turns his head only. Before that he was facing forward and not turned towards Tifa. He looks at her when they're talking, but doesn't move his entire body. Tbf, this is the part where Tifa fell 30+ft and said she thought she'd die for sure, which likely put Cloud in a more attentive state towards her anyway, but after that came the stairs or elevator, so he probably calmed down again. There's no threats between that moment and the sim, so he shouldn't feel the need to become overprotective towards Tifa. Seeing threats everywhere when there aren't any is a very bad sign, so it's a good thing Cloud didn't change after that first event.

Tifa gets stabbed and Cloud's reaction is heartbreaking. He doesn't know it's not real at this point. This is genuine shock and grief. He's failed her. There's no undoing this. The look on his face as he tries to locate Sephiroth is murderous. It morphs into shock when he sees Barret dead, too. He's let them both down.

This is during the talk with Hart before they leave the sim. Cloud was literally just facing Tifa talking to her. He knows she's there. He has no reason to check on her again, other than he's worried what'll happen if he can't see her.

Not even in the office yet. They're in the archive and Tifa's just moved forward to look around and Cloud has turned so they're lined up. He's obviously still shaken by the sim and feels the need to keep her within reach in case she needs saving.

In the office and Cloud again half turns so that he is more in line with Tifa's position. Why does Cloud feel threatened during this point? Because he doesn't know Domino and it could be a trap. Common sense he wants to keep an eye on the person he wants to keep alive.

Things only escalate from this point. The degree by which Cloud turns depends on how stressed/worried he is at that point. He doesn't know Hart or Domino, but he's less threatened than in later locations, so doesn't feel as much pressure to keep Tifa within arm's reach, which explains why the degree he turns by is less than other times.

During the atrium section, Cloud seems to relax a little. The threat reduces for him and he begins to lower his hyper vigilance towards Tifa. The sim event seems like he was overreacting maybe and he doesn't have to keep as close an eye on her. It was all just messing with his head and he needs to focus. Soldier Cloud gets him back on mission.

But that's when he suffers a different kind of stressful event that pushes him to a breaking point and he cries. 

Cloud's stress levels begin rising again with the introduction of Hojo to the mix. He withdraws into himself, but even then he keeps some of his focus on Tifa's position. We can see here he is turned towards her, which accomplishes two goals. He's made himself a smaller target for Hojo, but also he can leap towards Tifa more easily if something happens.

It's during this event that Cloud has given up his position as leader. Barret takes control of the dialogue and later during the drum he gives Cloud orders, which are followed without argument. Cloud is doing the bare minimum needed to interact with people. He's focused on his goals. Protect Tifa. Save Aerith. Anything else is getting ignored.

Aerith's room after Cloud's collapse and you can see he's lined up with Tifa again, while talking to Aerith. It's even more obvious in the close up before this, but since Tifa wasn't visible I chose the longer shot because Cloud doesn't move from that shot to this and I'm not in the mood to deal with anyone trying to say I'm imagining things. I'm not.

This is even more obvious. Cloud is standing behind Tifa, lined up with her. On purpose. He moved to this position before we got control of him back. He's just gone through a very stressful event with the Jenova thing and he's not in a good head space in general. Focusing on Tifa may well be a comfort thing for him as well. If he focuses on her then he doesn't have to think about himself.

After reuniting with the girls and checking in with them, Cloud reorients his body to Tifa's position. The drum is one massive threat and Cloud's living through his nightmares with the medical room and the experiments. The last thing he wants is for something to happen to Tifa under his nose.

Right after the above screen we see he's once again lined up with her position before control comes back to us.

Lined up with Tifa's position again. I really don't have much else to say about this. It's all highlighting Cloud's anxiety after seeing her die in front of him. If he keeps her in line with himself then he can save her.

And again, Cloud turns to where Tifa is. There's other people around, but he's only speaking to her. Only looking at her. She is his priority at this point. The others are along for the ride.

Now, I'm sure someone will try and point out that she's the one driving the truck, but that doesn't explain why he's only talking to her and doesn't include the others. He was facing front until a moment before he spoke. He could've raised his voice to include everyone in a general “let's go” way, but he chose to turn to Tifa and speak to her exclusively.

And turns to her again. This is actually the third time he turns to check on her position, but the times before that were glances back because the threat was in front of them (Sephiroth). He didn't need to turn and check on her because he was already in the ideal position to save her.

After the arbiter battle, when they're in that between place which has something to do with CC with its sky and water imagery, we see Tifa walk into Cloud's peripheral vision and him turn towards her to check she's ok. He only turns away when he asks Aerith a question.

Last scene of the game and even though Cloud is talking to the others and his head is turned towards them, his body is lined up exactly with Tifa's position.

In conclusion.

I know some of yall are gonna be awww he loves her so much he can't bear to let her out of his sight. Yeah, ok, you're right, but at the same time, Cloud is very anxious. He's become that worried about Tifa's safety that he can't help but keep her in view at all times. The only time he's not focused on her is when there's an actual threat he needs to deal with because then he knows where the problem is and how to take care of it. It's during those moments between threats that he's become hyper vigilant towards her, even more than he was before he thought she died.

Before the sim, he was attentive, but trusted she could deal with most problems. He figured either she could handle it or he'd get there in time.

After the sim, he still trusts her, but he doesn't trust himself to keep her safe, which is why he's become even more watchful towards her.

I’m guessing this is gonna go towards his eroding sense of identity through the rest of the game until he shatters and we get the lifestream event where Tifa puts him back together again.

[idjitlili]

Don’t stop me now

Spike btvs x reader

Summary:Imagine looking like  Freddie Mercury as a woman like in a 'I want to break free' with a hoover  dancing only for an 100+ vampire to join in, unknowingly.

A/n: what can I say , I've been busy with college , and I'm British so we know spike is gonna know Queen too.

Word count: 3891 Y/c=country(or just a state in America I don't know, the whole world isn't America lol.

It was strange to say the least; working for wolfram & hart, you had came from y/c to here, working for a law firm run by a vampire with a soul.  

Mental if you ask yourself , you had known Wesley when you was younger, actually he had brought you a ticket to Los Angeles , since your parental figure had called him , and let him know about everything really. Well just that you were now y/a , and in need of a job. That was it you were here now.

You weren't sure what your job was really , you definitely was not a social butterfly, Wesley had mentioned you had to crack codes? Now that you think about it , something to do with researching different demon rituals? That's not the correct word , anyways to do that had write summaries for Angel's upcoming meetings with these different species.

You ever had your own office, you could live in there honestly.  

There was a lot going on all the time, frankly it was kinda scary , knowing no one apart from Wesley, who clearly knotted up by the scientist, Fred. Yet you was always invited to the important meetings , you had guessed Wes had put in a word , to help you feel welcome or included. There wasn't really a purpose for you being there.

You were a little nervous that maybe one of them, probably the vampire ,Angel , not knowing that the blond British man was one too, could read your mind. What would he find the that  was terrifying (except you read dirty smut) . You were sat by Wes , at the end of the table closest to the window. Which also meant you were sat next to Angel, with the jelled blond bad boy opposite you.

"Okay, so cannibal vampire cult...what's with that, and why is that a problem?" Angel had began , with the same brooding face as , he had on 24 hours a day.  

Gunn , had cleared his throat briefly, causing everyone to turn their heads towards him. "Well, it's quite simple, they are killing all our clients."  Yeah this was waste of your life, you had already began doodling on the notepad in front of you. Unknowingly forgetting you were in an 'significant'  meeting.  

Not knowing how much time had gone by, felt like hours , freshly finished school and know you were here? Sucky. You were only jolted out of your thoughts when a foot had nudged yours, looking up slowly to the man in front of you , waiting for your reaction.

He was quite handsome you could not deny that, a small blush had raised to your cheeks , as he had caught you in a trance of boredom, you had lifted your eyebrows at him in confusion. With nothing but a smirk in response you had tried to listen again to the meeting.

"So you are saying we need bait? But who would we use? This whole place is monsters, "  Fred's face with disgust at the word 'monsters' as she delivered her thoughts, Wes thought for a moment his hand at his lip, indicting so as he looked at the pine table.  

"No,not necessarily," He had gestured to you , all eyes on you, feeling like a stripper, wow this is attention? Blush upon your face once again,"w-wha" choking on your own words ,before Angel had shook his head "Absolutely not, Wes, that's not fair."

"Yeah! I'm human too."

"And me, hey! So are you Wes."

"Uhhh, Mister Angel, " What else was you supposed to call him? Dad?  He had looked at you from the disagreement, nodding for you to go on.  

"S-say if I was, uh, what's the chances of me dying?"   The pencil in your hands being gripped tightly in your now sweaty palms, but Angel is not given chance to reply. "He wouldn't allow that, love. Would you 'mister' Angel" the blond vampire smirk was evident as he looked at the brooding brunette.

"Hold on a second, why do they want a human, if they are cannibal?" Okay that did make sense, use your ears y/n.

"They can't just drink each other , they need something other than other vampires. That's only when they actually find one of ours." Yeah, you guess that the blond man did make sort of sense, you had just "hm" in response.

You had turned to Wesley, gesturing for him to come closer, so that you could whisper into his ear, the rest watched in confusion. Hold on Angel still didn't answer your question. "Uh, um, did you volunteer me because I'm a virgin? Does that make me more attractive to the vampires?" You had really hoped that no one had super hearing, Wes pondered for a second, your hand still on his shoulder.

"I'm not quite sure, I'm probably not the best person to ask , you should bring that up with Angel." Wow thank you , so much. You moved back into sitting in your chair correctly. Twiddling your thumbs, to pretend like no one was looking at you,felt like hours that you were sat there, before your foot was nudged again, you peeped up to see the same blond man looking at you. Who else is it going to be? Johnny Depp? No.

"Come on ,love." You weren't even sure of his name, and he was calling you love. Instead of speaking you had just stared back blankly. Most awkward meeting. "Would you just ask me then? Surely it's not that bad,no one else has to hear." Only his Spike saw the look Angel was giving him, awww soft boy. He did not seem like he was evil..only if you knew him a couple of years ago.

You had stood up, in hopes spike would do the same,so you wouldn't have to kneel next to him and whisper. He stood up as you made your way to him , moving away from the table, before turning back to the others. "You lot carry on, " With that he led you away out of Angel's office to an empty one. This is so dramatic but you don't really want to be talking about your virginity to these people, well except spike.

"So,love, what's the problem?" He had towered over you, he was quite handsome yes, but you felt intimidated in honesty. "Uh,well, since I'm going to be bait...well ,um,  Are virgins more at risk at being snacked on? If that makes a difference to vampires? Oh I'm sorry, uh I-" he let out a chuckle at you, you moved your gaze to your feet. Why did you have to wear these heels, you didn't see Patrick swayze anywhere.

"Yes, they can smell it as soon as you walk into a room and it tastes different to other humans. ,love."

"W-wait how do you know?"

"I've had my fair share, now come on , love-come on I'm not going to eat you."

"Pfft- I'm not a virgin."

"Sure love,"

And with that you both headed back to the meeting , before you left to be bait Fred had informed you Spike had a soul like Angel after you had questioned him to her and Wesley.

Now you were in the middle of a park at 1 am , which happened to be not even a mile from the vampire base. It was freezing , in a poncho with a tank top, apparently to show off your neck under the street light, you were pretty sure that the vampires didn't give a shit if you were wearing Michael Myers mask.  

Ah yes, first day on the job, risks of death 99.9% , lovely.

What exactly are you supposed to do?  Pretty sure that mister mysterious and mister Stevie Nicks/vanilla ice are hiding in the bushes or something. Oh how you wish that Keanu Reeves would swoop you away from this situation.  

Stood in the open park, kicking the mud with you shoe , well until you are body slammed backwards onto the floor, by obviously an indeed ugly vampire. Where's David from lost boys you wouldn't mind if it was him , but this dude stank. He was not even a second away from biting you- wait sorry his fangs were in your neck.  It hurt like period pains in your neck, well until it was over , when he was yanked off by a blurry figure , as you felt your body being lifted, that was it.

You had woken up the next morning under a blanket on the sofa in your office, a plaster on your neck, water on the table. You were never going to do that , with the huge headache and the low sugar levels. As you looked down realising your movie white tank top was now drenched in blood. Deciding it was best to go talk to someone to go home, you left the office.

Your heels now discarded , your bare feet padding against the carpet floor , all the way to Angels office, Harmony informing you that he was in a meeting with the others. One brief knock on the pine door, was all it took for the similar brooding vampire had opened the door , gesturing you in.

Okay it was a bit naughty to not changed the blood stained tank, since there are two vampires in the room. Soon you were sat exactly where you were 24 hours ago, as were everyone else. "Uh, um ," No one was speaking , just staring at you really. "Y/n, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have forced you into doing that , I didn't mean for you to get hurt." Wesley was undoubtedly guilty, probably thinking about how made your parental figure was going to be more like.

"I just like to say, I could've gotten aids."

"Uh, that's not how that works." Fred was honestly shaken by your words, well not really she just thought well actually you don't know.

"That was just dramatic effect. I'm quite annoyed , I did not want fucking Edward sucking me like I was juice carton. Did you even kill the cult?" Your voice sounded like sandpaper, as you delivered your anger with pop culture references and dramatic gestures.

"Yeah we did, well not me but still." Lorne smiled at you with concern , he had felt sympathy for you , hoping the bite wouldn't scar.

"Well good, um, I was wondering if I could go home now? Please?" You already hate this job, Angel had nodded, queuing you to stand up , doing a small bow in respect , going home to have a bath and sleep.

Wesley had called you not long after you gotten home , to inform you that you had been given an extra few days off. Wow first day then long weekend, mental.

Once you had gotten back on Monday, your neck was not healed still, but you had to come back otherwise you was going to be homeless.

Surprisingly , the work was easy , too easy, but you weren't to complain... there was tv with a DVD player, you were absolutely chuffed. It happened that you had brought cds in your bag accidentally. After storing those cds in that bag when coming to Los Angeles.

So , you did work through your work a little too fast, nothing to do, so since the demon cleaners  suck arse , and didn't clean up the blood from last week, you had went and gotten a Hoover and cleaning supplies. Queen and david bowie, playing on the tv, you know you can use DVD players to play cds, if you didn't know.

Maybe it was a little bad you playing slightly loud music while hoovering, dancing as you went, it was a shitty Hoover so it was taking a while. Your cardigan and heels discarded, your forehead laced with sweat, what could you say who does like Queen. Thus I want to break freebegan to play.

"I want to break free I want to break free I want to break free from your lies," The fact this song was a parody of coronation street. As soon as the beat began , you had also began aggressively Hooving, the long dramatic strides, even the the lip twitches as you lip-synced.

"You're so self satisfied I don't need you I've got to break free God knows, God knows I want to break free," You had stopped to flip the fringe of your hair , before resting your hands on your hips , the self confident head shake, another hair flip out of your face.

"I've fallen in love I've fallen in love for the first time And this time I know it's for real I've fallen in love, yeah God knows, God knows I've fallen in love It's strange but it's true, yeah,"

Obviously you couldn't take your shirt off , like Freddie, but yeah your skirt rising up , blouse too buttons undone was enough. Your hands hands spread out like a star for moments, you didn't know that Spike had heard the music and began to locate the source.

"I can't get over the way you love me like you do But I have to be sure When I walk out that door. Oh, how I want to be free, baby Oh, how I want to be free Oh, how I want to break free"

Looking up to the ceiling, arms lift out to the sides , legs apart. Dramatic spin, clenching of fists to your chest. Spike walking up to the do slowly opening it , seeing you shaking your head 'I want to break free' Now some elves but you can't do that your not Legolas. Or cows you are not sure.

Now not sure how you didn't see Spike .  This was embarrassing, spike wasn't copying really, not much anyways. It wasn't long after that dont stop me now started. Wow this is embarrassing. You had just abandon the Hoover at this point.

"I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah And floating around in ecstasy"

Bringing you hands in front  of you up near your neck , wiggling your fingers, spike did the same.

" So don't " You looked forward, "stop," Looked towards the window , as did spike . "me" Back forward. "now" "don't stop me 'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity." Jumping up , scratching like a Tiger standing side on,  moving your arms around you 200 degrees , you were doing a duet , without knowing it.

" I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva I'm gonna go, go, go" Honestly you don't know how to describe these moves in honesty go watch Paul Rudd do it.

"There's no stopping me I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah." Your arms almost touching spikes as you lift them up as you circle your arse in a small circle, before pointing up.

"Two hundred degrees That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit"  

Okay you had climb onto the desk , spot Spike oh my god , you couldn't of represented the fear , well until he had threw his jacket on the sofa ripped his shirt off, winking at you, shaking his shoulders.

"I'm traveling at the speed of light I wanna make a supersonic man out of you "

"Don't" you had wiggled yours back, before pointing at the platinum vampire,gesturing him to come to you .

"stop me now, I'm having such a good time I'm having a ball Don't stop me now"  As he reached you , you held out your hands for him , helping him up onto the table.

"If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call" Each of you looking at each other, as you danced ,sorta looking like Rick I'm never going to give you up, a lot of twisting , and hand movements.

"Don't" "stop" " me now ('cause I'm having a good time) Don't stop me now (yes, I'm havin' a good time)" Spike had grabbed your hands twirling you, ending up with you in front of him facing away. Throwing out thumbs up to the side of you as you got closer to the desk top.

"I don't want to stop at all" Before rising your arms up , Spike pulling you up, honestly if you knew him deeply you wouldn't believe that he would do this, he's a vampire.

"Yeah, I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars On a collision course I am a satellite, I'm out of control I am a sex machine, ready to reload. Like an atom bomb about to Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh explode." Throwing your head back then forwards quickly , with your leg up, clicking your finger.

"I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah Two hundred degrees That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit" Neither of you had noticed the music had gained more attention then you may of realised , Angel ,Wesley, Gunn, Fred and Lorne were hiding behind the sofa.

"Don't stop me, don't stop me Don't stop me, hey, hey, hey"

Spike jumped off of the table turning back to you , five feet away, holding his arms out to catch you.

"Don't stop me, don't stop me Ooh ooh ooh, I like it"

With that you had jumped, (Spike watched dirty dancing? Probably Harmony's fault.) Effortlessly he had caught you you lifting you up, for a few seconds.

"Don't stop me, don't stop me Have a good time, good time"

Lowering you down slowly , your arms around his neck, panting slightly, uh he wasn't sweaty , he's dead but you were covered in sweaty.

Soon enough the song came to an end , you were still in the vampires embrace , his arms around your shoulders securing you.

It hasn't even been an minutes ,clapping begins, someone turns of the Hoover and the music. You both turn around slowly pulling out of the embrace to see , the brooding Angel laughing with everyone.

"Bloody hell, perverts much." Annoyance interweaved in Spikes voice, you could share that embarrassment.

Looking at your feet realising how inappropriate you look , your blouse now see through due to the sweat , the cotton clinging to your body, wrapping your arms around yourself, to cover."uh , Angel , I was only cleaning and that because, um I completed my work, uhh there was still blo-""it's fine, as long as you are feeling better, " you had nodded at him before going back to looking at your feet.

Moments go by with silence from you and Spike as the others are talking away , no doubt about you two. You are soon pulled out of your trance when a heavy weight is placed on your shoulders , looking up to see Spike placing his long leather jacket on you , sending you a small smirk before walking out of your office , still shirtless.

"I haven't seen him like that in a long time, he is fond of you." With that Angel left too. " Aw, I'm glad you are settling in y/n/n , I just never thought you would do so ,by dancing to Queen with a vampire." Wesley had patted your back , leaving with Fred who just smiled , followed by Gunn and Lorne.

Thus you grabbed your stuff , to go home , you had danced to the end of the day. Walking out of the office , hoping Harmony didn't see you and kill you for Spike giving you his jacket.

She had already gone thank god , no death today, the next day , you had brought Spikes jacket with you. In search of him in the morning, you had hidden it in your bag , heading to Harmony's desk.  

"Uh, have you seen Spike today?" Please don't kill me. She had looked up at you with a polite smile. "He's literally just left Angel's office, something about going to taking a car or something? Why?"

"Oh, I just need to pass a message from Wesley to him, thank you." You had lied , but you hoped that Wesley would go with it, if she asked him.  Rushing down to Angel's private car park, in hopes of catching Spike, which you did but he almost hit you with the car.

Your hands placed on the hood, breathing roughly before moving to the drivers side , as he rolled down the window, smirking yet again. The car had had black out windows so you guess that's why he was going out in the day?

"Awe, all out of breathe for me , love?" You had ignored his comment , pulling out his heavy jacket from your bag, passing it to him.  "Cheers,love." You had nodded, turning away to head back up.  That was it until about 2:45 , again all your work was done, just sitting there doing nothing, but twiddling your thumbs.

So you decided , maybe you should go get some air outside, or go home you weren't sure. Swinging the office door open to see , Spike.

"Ah, oh Hi."

"Going somewhere, love?" Well that sounded like a threat , but he was not smirking like I'm going to chop your fucking head off.

"I don't know really , I think I'm going home."

"I'll drive you."

"Really?" He didn't seem to be the type to drop you off home to to your mother , not that she was there, but still, he had nodded , and that was it you walked with him. Until  Harmony stopped you both, she had frowned slightly before smiling again.

"So you got the message from Wesley then, spike?" You looked at Spike who didn't notice you looking , just stood looking at the blonde girl in confusion,until you pretend to resist your bag accidentally knocking him with bag.

"Yeah,"  

"What was it?"

"Mind your own business, wanker." With that he had walked around her with you ,guiding you with his arm around your shoulder.

Once you were both were sat in the car , you had given Spike your address , immediately he had started driving.  "So what was that about?"

"Well, uh, Wesley informed me about everyone ,  said you had something with Harmony, and she's a vampire. So I asked where you were this morning to give back your jacket but didn't want to say that, just in case she tried to eat me." Spike had let out a laugh, "I can see your concern, love , she's a bloody nightmare." You had let out a small laugh of understanding.

"Hey, do you still eat food?."

"Yeah, not a lot , but sometimes I do, why do you ask?"

" y-you've been very nice to me , since I'd been here, and you are driving me home.. uh so I was wondering if you would like to come in and have something. I don't have blood , uh other than my own and uh I lost a lot of that last week. You don't have to , um, I jus-" "I will, love,"

"Oh brilliant, uh I make some nice cookies."

"Great, love. Can't wait."

[oh-theatre]

Objection!: Chapter 26

Chapter title: When Youre Home

A/n: Sorry it took awhile and im sorry its shorter!! Ive been really busy but I still wanted to get a chapter out! And ofc cant tell you what happens just yet also gotta let ya suffer. Sorry its bad but enjoy!! PLEASE LEAVE ME COMMENTS YALL! PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS AND IF ITS CONFUSING OR YOU HAVE QUESTIONS IM HERE TO ANSWER THEM OK?

First | Previous | Next

words: 2356

summary: The world freezes as the gang follows the events of the previous night

pairings: Eventual logicality, prinxiety, platonic demus, romantic remile

warnings: Murder mention, child murder, Law and Courtroom, swearing, blood, hospital, crime scene,  murder, gun mention, guns, swearing, abuse, graphic descriptions, alcohol, shooting, crying

Ao3 Link  

“Dada!” No, Logan couldn't. His throat closes tightly hearing the sound of frantic children racing toward him. Wiping away his nervous tears he stands, the twins waste no time as Logan kneels to nuzzle themselves into him. Emile and Remy, somber faces, approach from behind. “Where's Papa?” Valerie shakes, her fears from the night only arising.

“Um...Patton is…” Logan cant speak, the words catch in his throat, stuck at some border keeping them down. “He’s…” He doesn't wish to beg for assistance, but his eyes beg  to anyone. Everyone avoids him, except…

“Why don't we go get some food?” Emile offers, the twins attention, tired and worn out, and focuses on the doctor. “We can get something for your dad” Emile and Remy work in sync, taking the pair from Logan. Nothing changes but the smallest glint shows his thankfulness. They set off and just as soon as they appeared, they fade into the rush of the midnight hour at the hospital. Cold and dark, Logan wants them back, the aching his body feels as he no longer can feel their presence.

He could see the crowd move, he could hear their mumblings and the world continue on. But he felt numb, like static surrounding him, nothing was there. Silence in this noisy void. Even when Virgil places his hand on the lawyers shoulder it takes a moment to register, then his face only sends him back.

“Hey we he- Patton” It takes almost no time to identify the ooze of blood and the frozen terror in the center of the courtroom. Virgil steps back, a moment of hesitation, Roman rushing by him sparks him back alive. He had never seen a puzzle so broken, so many pieces lost. Logan couldn't speak, but he held so tightly. But to what? Virgil hated it but it didnt look like Patton.

“Hel..help” Logan manages, something in him however was gone. Virgil couldn't look anymore, the pale face, he longed to see the bright smile, promising love as it flashed to all it passed. The sparkle of his eyes, a smart shine closed as they looked empty. Nothing was there, no one was there….

“Uhm Roman Reial, I need an ambulance… the courthouse on Preise Boulevard” He rushes, his breaths short and scared. “A-a gunshot wound...please just hurry” He pleads, Logan continues staring towards the door. The icy blue that sparked with wisdom and his unsuspected and treasured love had melted. They were empty, devoid of purpose to shine.

“We...we’re engaged” He mumbles, Virgil looks to Pattons hands instantly. The scuffed skin didn't distract from the stunning glimmer of the ring around his finger.

“C-come on” Virgil tries “We have to get him out of here...or apply pressure...or stop the bleeding or-”

“Virge breathe” Roman takes his hand, squeezing it gently. Their eyes meet and the dangerous storm dies down in Virgil, finding a light rain should suffice. “He’ll be ok”

“Don't make promises you can't keep” Virgil whispers, listening to a silent Logan crying ever so gently over a fallen love. Roman cups his cheek, the movement feeling natural.

“I'm not” He takes Virgil to the side, calming him as medics and cops file in. The pair are guilty as they ignore Logan's desperate cries, shunning away while Patton, if you can call his lifeless body that was hauled away. Logan sinks again, unable to move, no one makes a sound, the room falls quiet once more. “Logan…” Roman begins, his caution at a high point. The lawyer shakes his head, searching for the words, any words. A simple croak.

“Hes-”

“Dead” Logan mutters “He's dead” He slumps into his chair, Roman and Virgil share uneasy glances.

“What happened?!” The three look up, their eyes landing in unison. A fiery path alight as Barbara marched towards them, Marcy following her footsteps trying to put out the dark. Logan stands, not expecting the rough descent to the physical world. “What did you do?” She spits, desperate as everything falls apart.

“Barb!” Marcy calls, gently removing her from a distant Logan. “Bubbles take a breath, it's not Logan's fault” Marcy assures, stroking ever so delicately to her wife. Barbara tries to conjure an argument but shatters, falling into Marcys arms as she cries.

Shouldn't Logan be doing the same?

Why couldn't he feel the pain?

Had he succumbed...to the dark?

Not too long ago his confusion was riddled with unbearable pain, the sadness too much to feel as it coursed through his veins, practically pumping his breath. He needed Patton, that took something out of him. The name, even the mere thought was too much, a break in his step. Turning rapidly away from this scene, too much of a mirror of his inner turmoil, he walks to the door, and kept going. Ignore, he told himself, ignore the shouts and the concern.

“Patton Hart” He demands, the woman perks up, a note of sympathy accompanies her sweet smile. She dials the phone, hushed whispers before she returns to Logan, the man no doubt seemed insane.

“I'm sorry sir, mister Hart is still in surgery” She informs. “We will send someone out with updates, but please return to the waiting room” She requests, her politeness and formality wasn't something Logan could argue. And it made sense, what was he thinking. Resigned with shame he returns to the group, the moment his sweaty back hits the chair he gives in. The tears just come, you'd think dehydration might be a risk as he sobs with no filter. No one dared move, not even a breath escaped but Barbara's face morphs, she takes his side, clutching hard. If he needed pressure, he was getting it.

Everyone loved him, but these two...it was different. The pain, the absolute grief they felt, couldn't be matched, only sprouted from their passionate love. Even if there's differences between each other, it was intense...and it hurt. And they shared that, how awful…

~~~

“I hear kids” Patton chuckles into the pillow, Logans arms remain around the smaller of the pair. It was true, the feet moved rapidly through the house, the wooden floors revealing their location with coy creaks. Logan groans, nuzzling into Patton not wishing to lose this warmth. “C’mon” Patton giggles, a gentle kiss on Logan's cheek before he sits up. His hair falling perfectly into a fluffed cloud. The pair reach for their glasses, preparing for the wave that approaches them.

“Papa! Dada!” The door bursts and the twins spare no one, jumping into the bed as they pounce on the fathers. Both lawyers fall back, laughing through muffled embraces. The twins had grown immensely, and yet they insisted on Sunday morning hugs.

“Where do you attain all this energy?” Logan wonders, adjusting Remus in front of him, the boy bounces excited. “It's eight in the morning” Logan yawns, Valerie follows suit sitting next to her brother.

“Lo they've only been alive for ten years, they have all the energy in the world” Patton teases, resting his head on Logan's accepting shoulder. “Why don't we give your father some space, come on Ill make you breakfast” Patton takes his time, slipping on his slippers as he leads the eager twins to the kitchen. The skip behind him, humming sweetly as they clutch to his hands.

“Cartoons?” Remus proposes, Patton nods and allows them to set up in front of the couch. The shows blare loud but nothing Patton didn't enjoy or was used to, he begins his work diligently in the kitchen. Never could he gain tired of the sweet bouts of laughter from the children.

“Good morning pop!” Patton turns, a giant grin spreads. Terrence stands idle, his cup tight in his small hands, his smile reflects brightly.

“Well good morning sweetness” Patton greets, kneeling slightly to face the young boy. “What can I do for you?” He offers, Terrence holds out his cup, shaking it gladly. “Juice or water?”

“Juice please! Jamahl sleeping still” He replies, Patton obliges, securing the drink into his hands once more. “Thank you kindly!” He beams, Patton hides a sweet chuckle, his vocabulary increasing everyday. “Hello papa” He waves to a slumbering Logan, hugging his legs before racing off to join his siblings, Logan ruffles his hair watching him go. Patton giggles turning back to his work, the stove ready for the delectable delight.

“Mmm” Logan hums, his arms wrapping gently around Patton's waist. His head falls perfectly on the mans shoulder, burrowing with ease. Patton giggles, the tickles certainly help to awake the man. Logan grows impatient spinning Patton towards him, leaning into a gentle kiss, a nice satisfaction as he pulls away.

“What was that for?” Patton laughs, Logan shrugs returning to his position. He enjoys watching his husband work, the careful manner as he prepares food, the unconscious humming that carries a tune. He places yet another kiss on Patton's cheek, wanting to remain as such forever. They both take a moment to turn to the children, each excited as the animation dances across the stage. Patton takes Logans hands in his own, interlacing their fingers as they watch.

“I want another” Logan yawns, Patton continues his cooking. He shakes his head stirring the coffee pouring two even cups.

“Another kiss?” He jokes, obliging by his own manner. Logan pouts and pulls Patton back to him. “Yes dearest?” He wonders

“Another kid” Logan presses, Pattons amused smile remains but falters a tad. “I mean look at them, they're perfect” Logan smiles, his glasses drooping. Patton adjusts them for him but bites his tongue. “Come on...I was looking and talking to Lia and-” Patton interjects quickly

“Lo I don't want another kid” He admits, his brows furrowed with concern. Logan takes a step back, their hands remain connected.

“I….what?” Logan mutters “I mean...you love kids. And you're wonderful with them. I don't understand…” Patton strokes his cheek, calming the anxiety he can see forming.

“I do love kids. I love Virgils son, I adore Thomas and the twins and Terrence are my life” Patton promises, yet something is off. “I just...I don't want another kid” He restates. “Divine, we are both full time lawyers and I'm on the city counsel. We already have trouble balancing our schedules with them. Adopting a child, no matter the age would be difficult. And it wouldn't be fair on them” Patton explains.

“What about Terrence? And Jamahl?” Logan marvels, scouring his brain. “That was even more dire, you were just out of the hospital a-and you were just starting. I was just beginning to learn what it meant to be a father-”

“And you are amazing at it” Patton smiles, Logan can't find the same urge.

“Terrence was a baby, I mean we could take in a grown child...like Jamahl. Statistics show that they are less likely to be taken in and it would save us the trouble of a newborn and it would be easier to help them adjust and understand” Logan rushes, desperate. “We can do it” He assures, Pattons usual determination, his need to please Logan just couldn't conjure itself.

“I-im sorry Lo, I don't want another kid” Patton laments, finally it seems their hands find their way apart.

“Ok maybe not now, I mean maybe in the future we could-” Logan tries. Pattons hands clutch to the table, the spatula could sink into the counter.

“No Logan you're not hearing me” He whispers, wishing to keep this to themselves. “I don't want another kid, We’ve got two ten year olds. Both who have been through more than any ten year old should. Both also very familiar to a broken home, and wishing for nothing more than to keep what stability they have. We've got a little five year old who despite being just a baby was thrown through system and system and didn't know a stable and safe home until he took his first steps on that carpet over there and his over-protective brother finally trusted us” Patton takes a frustrated breath “We have full careers and If I know you, which I pride myself on, you want it go further and advance” He watches the once expression he hated so much, Logans eyes fall hopeless. He takes his cheeks, aweing so gently. “Logan, my starlight, I love you so much. I love you, and the kids and my job and my friends. I like our life. But I don't want another kid, Jamahls about to go off to college, the twins are going to be in highschool in no time and Terrence is beginning school” Patton serves the now saddened breakfast, moving to the table as he sets it. Molly whines at his feet for food, he wishes to coo but his heart feels heavy.

“Patton I-” Logan begins

“I have to go wake up Jamahl, he has SAT prep and Thomas is coming over soon to play with Terrence” Patton gives another look before disappearing behind the wall. Both take shuddered breaths fearing their own ability to stop tears. The house felt tense, hard to move through, hard to breath. Hard to stay still, why was it shaking?

“Logan” The softest voice cuts through, the lawyer sputters awake, his eyes flutter open. Virgil kneels in front of him, his hands gentle as he places a hold on the man. “He's out of surgery” Virgil informs, Logan nods before fully comprehending Virgil's words. He jumps up, rushing to the doctor who was seemingly reporting to Barbara.

“...he hasn't awoken yet but his vitals are stable for now” The man finishes, thats all Logan needed. “As you are immediate family you can see him, the rest of you will have to wait” Logans heart drops, falling below his knees. Barbara rings her hands but takes Logan.

“This is his husband” The doctor checks his chart, skeptical as to who is listed. “Its recent so he hasn't had time to update it” Barbara adds, Logan would be eternally grateful to her later. Especially as they walk through the forbidden doors and straight down to the room…

His room.  

[chungledown-bimothy]

Trust Me: Chapter 9

I cannot thank y’all enough for your patience. Hopefully the fact that it’s a relatively big chapter a little bit kinda makes up for the wait? Either way, thank you so much for reading, and I love you <3

Chapter 1 Chapter 8 AO3 Chapter 10

Warnings: A brief mention of the wounds from previous chapters’ violence, very briefly implied nsfw/daddy kink (to skip it, just don’t read the text messages after “Aww, you’re so sweet!”

Author’s Note: Again, the cipher is crackable with the information you have. (I’d argue that this one might be a bit harder, because I gave you fewer/subtler clues, but if you get how it’s encrypted, decoding it is a lot easier.) Shoutout to y’all who got last chapter’s! <3

Word Count: 3,660

Tag List: @ccecode​ @emo-sanders-sides-loving-unicorn​ @ren-allen​ @ilovemygaydad​ @bloodropsblog​ @funsizedgremlin​ @raygelkitty​ @roxiefox23​ @thomasthesandersengine​ @spookyingarbageisland​ @band-be-boss-blog​

"The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to the seeker after it," Virgil muttered. Running his hand through his hair, he looked up to see that it was 8:30. He'd been at his desk staring at a copy of the note for over two hours. There was something familiar about the phrase; the feeling that he'd heard it before played in the back of his mind, just out of reach. He was sure that it was the key to solving the entire thing.

God, I wish I remembered more from that cryptology class I took in college. Okay, time for a new approach. Clean slate, let's go through what we know about him, Virgil thought.

He's a man in his late twenties or early thirties. He's highly intelligent and well-educated, likely with a medical background of some sort. He's a mission-based killer, set on punishing people he feels got away with things, things the system should have punished them fore. Before Jason Dean, it seems. That change in victimology must be connected to why he sent this note, so I'll put a pin in that for now; I'll talk to Vincent about the autopsy report when he's done with it. 

He seems divided; some of the torture is methodical, but some of it seems more motivated by rage than purpose. And then there's how he treats them. Mission-oriented killers don't often torture their victims; the payoff is from the kill itself. But he's feeding them, keeping them alive for a while so he can torture them.

Does he want them to know what he's done? That's it. He wants them to recognize their 'sins', perhaps even repent for them. He needs the validation that comes from them acknowledging his power and that he is correct.

Everything he does has a literal meaning and a symbolic one, he continued. Nothing has only one meaning. On the surface, he's saying that he knows that what he's doing is wrong, legally at least, but he finds it beautiful. Interesting choice of wording. Not right, not just. Beautiful. It feels like he cares more about the torture than the mission. But then why the remorse with the pseudo-burial? He's so full of contradictions. And then there's the bit at the end. "Publish me", he said, not "publish this". Which goes back to the fact that he's got one hell of an ego; he wants the focus on him. Which directly flies in the face of most mission oriented killers- they want the focus on their message. 

I would almost think that there might be two unsubs, but two people being this organized and methodical is extremely unlikely. He's way too egotistical to cooperate with a partner, however submissive said partner might be. 

So, we've got an incredibly smart unsub who knows it and feels like he isn't getting the attention he deserves. A younger child, maybe? Not that that would help us find him. Round up every smart, egotistical younger son in the city. We'd get the founders of every tech start-up in the city; it'd be Gentrifiers-R-Us. Virgil shook his head to clear out the unhelpful thoughts. Focus, Virge. You're on a clock. So, what kind of encryption does someone like that send? What kind of encryption has each word represented by three numbers? It's not a trifid cipher; none of the numbers would be bigger than three, and these numbers range from 1 to 192. Most number ciphers assign a number to each letter; no way in hell all of the words are three letters, and 192 and 26 do not play well together mathematically. Think, Virgil.

Fuck. Okay, let's try another new angle. The series of numbers at the end. Clearly not part of the message. 10 digits, but clearly not a phone number. 055 certainly isn't a US area code, and the number isn't long enough for a foreign dialing code plus the rest of the phone number. Wait. Maybe it's backwards? 310 is Los Angeles. 

Virgil took out his phone and dialed 310-053-3550, heart in his throat. It rang twice before an automated voice informed him that "the number you have dialed is no longer in service". Damn. His heart started beating in an entirely different way when he saw that he had some new texts.

6:22 [Patton]- Hi cutie! Are you free, by any chance? It's been a really bad day, and seeing you always makes me feel so much better. <3

6:50 [Patton]- I was thinking we could get some dinner and then watch a movie or something at my place

7:48 [Patton]- Virge?

Virgil's stomach dropped. Oh god do they think I'm ignoring them? Oh shit. He quickly typed out a reply.

8:53[Virgil<3]- Hey, Pat, I'm here. I'm so, so sorry you're having a bad day. I can't hang out tonight, though. :'( I'd be with you if I could, though. It's been a rough one for me, too. Wanna talk about what's been bringing you down?

Their reply was almost instant.

[Patton]- Virgil! :D Aww, stormcloud, it's okay. Life happens; it wouldn't be healthy for either of us if you dropped everything when I'm just a little down. Besides, it was nothing, really. Just me being dramatic lol

Virgil felt himself blush at the endearment, but his brow furrowed reading the rest of the message.

[Virgil<3]- You sure? It also isn't healthy to bottle up your emotions. I care a lot about you and am always here if you want to talk about anything.

[Patton]- God, you're the sweetest! <3 I care a lot about you too. I promise, though, I really am fine. Do you wanna talk about what's bumming you out?

[Virgil<3]- I really wish I could, but I actually have to get back to it. I'll message you later <3

[Patton]- okie dokie. Don't work too late, okay?

He chuckled as he put his phone away and looked back at the note on his desk. Heather and Kurt are obviously people, Ram probably is too. Who are they, and what do they mean to him? The phone on his desk started to ring; Virgil jumped.

"H- hello? Detective Mason here." Virgil cursed himself for the shaky greeting.

"Virgil! I'm glad you're still here. It's Vincent. You said you wanted to know as soon as the autopsy was done; I'm waiting for a couple of particulates to come back, but the bulk of it is ready for you." 

"Vincent, you are a lifesaver. I'll be down in a minute."

"Did you know that the candy Life Savers was invented in 1912 as a summer confectionary alternative to chocolate, which has a melting point of approximately 86 degrees?"

"I definitely did not know that, but I did know that they started as mints and didn't become the fruity candy we associate most with the brand now until the mid-1920s."

"Fruit flavors were introduced in 1921, to be exact, but they did not have holes in them like the mints did until 1925, which is probably the date to which you were referring."

Virgil laughed. "Damn, I thought I had you. I'll be right down." He hung up the phone and left for the morgue. 

Three minutes later, he found himself being hugged by Dr. Nigel-Murray.

"I'm as touch-starved as the next gay, but why the hug? We just saw each other, like, five hours ago." Virgil looked slightly down at Vincent with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to curb my workplace-inappropriate tendencies, but, barring once during a time of great stress, people in general don't respond in kind to my facts." Virgil's heart broke for the vulnerability and pain in his voice, and he made a mental note to learn as much trivia as possible.

"That's a damn shame. You're a great guy, Vince- let's get coffee or something once I've cracked this damn code."

"That sounds quite lovely, actually. What code, if I may ask?" Vincent's smile was appropriate for the fact that they were at work, but Virgil could tell that he was practically bouncing with excitement internally.

"Our killer sent a reporter a coded message. I've got about 21 hours to crack it if I want to get this guy to come to me."

"Not to overstep, but I've dabbled a bit in cryptography; perhaps I could be of some assistance?" 

"I'd love another set of eyes on this, actually. Thank you! Here, give me your number, and I'll text you a picture of it once we've wrapped up here." Virgil pulled out his phone and unlocked it to find that his messages with Patton were still pulled up. He tried to stop himself from smiling, but he couldn't.

Vincent chuckled. "He must be pretty special, to get a smile like that out of you." Virgil blushed.

"Uh, yeah, they are. At least, I think so. I hope so." Virgil fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, refusing to make eye contact.

"Sorry about the pronoun flub. So, tell me about them!"

Virgil hesitated; opening up about his feelings certainly wasn't one of his strong suits, but he liked Vincent and wanted to be his friend.

“They’re incredible. Their name is Patton, and they run We Hart Coffee just a few blocks from here. They’re so funny and kind, and I’ve never seen a smile like theirs. It’s so genuine and infectious. The world genuinely is a brighter and happier place around them.”

“You really love them, huh?” 

“I- What? No. No way. That’s way too cliche. We meet in a coffee shop and are in love within a couple of weeks? This is real life, and stuff like that only happens in movies and fanfiction. And completely unrealistic. What?" Virgil snapped, seeing the grin on Vincent's face.

"Trust me, Virgil. My first doctorate advisor, Doctor Brennan, was in deep denial of her love for her partner, Agent Booth. They're now happily married with two kids. I know what repressed love looks like, and you, my friend, have it in proverbial spades."

"I'm not sure that that's the right use for that cliche, and besides…" Virgil sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So what if you're right? Even if I did love them, which I don't, they don't love me back."

"Not yet, perhaps, but you're a great guy, Virgil. Smart, funny, caring, and quite handsome. If I were into men, I'm certain I would be half in love with you, myself. Just give them time."

"Christ, Vince, I'm gonna cry at work and ruin the tough-guy aesthetic I work so hard to maintain."

Vincent hummed his disbelief. "As much as I love chatting with you, I believe you're here about a murder. Follow me, if you will."

"Right. Murder." Virgil muttered before following him into the lab.

"So, you know who he is. 18 year old Mission High student Jason Dean. You saw the burns, frostbite, and acid damage. We were able to determine that the frostbite was caused by liquid nitrogen, and the killer used hydrochloric acid. We also found that while he was less dehydrated than the part victims, likely due to being held for only about a week, as opposed to two or three like previous victims, he was far more malnourished than the others."

"God, why is he changing so much? A kid, a shortened timetable, not feeding him. What was the cause of death?"

"Strychnine poisoning."

"See, that's a huge departure, too. All of the previous torture was from knives and hands. Why the sudden change to substances? Did he get injured, or is something else limiting his manual dexterity?"

"I don't know about any of that, but strychnine is a fairly popular poison in popular culture; Agatha Christie used it three times- in Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Coming of Mr. Quin, and How Does Your Garden Grow?, and Arthur Conan Doyle used it in-"

"Oh. OH. Vincent, I love you, you know-it-all." Virgil started pacing, running his fingers through his hair.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The Murder of Roger Ackroyd."

"What? Strychnine wasn't used in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd; Ackroyd was stabbed."

"Yes, I know. The note the killer sent. At the bottom of the code, he wrote 'the truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to the seeker after it'. It seemed so familiar, but I couldn't place it until you just brought up Agatha Christie. Poirot said it in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The number. I'm an idiot."

"Breathe, Virgil. I assume that you just cracked the code?"

"Not quite. But I cracked our unsub. I knew it. I knew he'd hand me the answer. I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out."

"Okay, so how does The Murder of Roger Ackroyd help you?"

"Under the quote is a thirteen digit number. I'd bet my life that it's an ISBN for a specific printing of the book. It's an Arnold Cipher. Each series of three numbers is a page, line, and word. It was staring me in the face. I truly am Boo-Boo the Fool." Vincent was puzzled by Virgil's last sentence, but Virgil was far too agitated for questioning it to be prudent.

Virgil took a deep breath. "Okay, sorry about that. So, back to Jason?"

"Oh, right. Jason. Um, the only other thing of note that we have found at this point are fibers from a 1950s Volkswagen Beetle."

"That's gonna help a ton, as well. Vincent, you are my hero!" Virgil scooped him up into a big hug before leaving the morgue, leaving Vincent speechless for the first time in his life.

Virgil ran back up to his desk, furiously typing in his password. It took him three tries to correctly enter the number into the San Francisco Public Library website's search bar. He eventually got it, and there it was. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. And two copies were available. The library didn't open until 12 pm the next day, however, so he went home after setting an alarm on his phone and sending a quick text to Patton.

9:52 [To:Patton]- Hey, wanna get dinner tomorrow night?

He was ecstatic to see a message from them when he got home.

9:55 [Patton]- Absolutely! You got the problem worked out? :D

10:10 [Virgil <3]- I found the solution, and will get it resolved by the end of the week. I'll pick you up on Friday at 7? We'll take a walk in the park and then House of Prime Rib, on me?

[Patton]- Are we celebrating something? Or are you trying to tell me you want to be my sugar daddy? ;P

[Virgil <3]- Trust me, Pat, if I had sugar daddy money, I'd love nothing more than to spoil you rotten. But nah, it's a combination of a small celebration and an apology for being unavailable today and for the next few days until Friday. (and i may or may not be buttering you up in hopes you'll share what's bringing you down)

[Patton]- Aww, you're so sweet! <3 (Can I call you daddy anyway?)

[Virgil <3]- Only if you want to be rewarded, baby. ;)

[Patton]- I'll be a good boy for you, daddy, I promise. 

Virgil noted their preferred appellation and responded in kind with a wicked smile.

--------

The next morning, Virgil woke up half an hour before his alarm was set to go off, feeling more relaxed than he had in months. I'm finally going to get this guy.

Figuring there was no point in just waiting around, he got ready and went right to work. He knew Captain Sanders would want a breakdown of the previous night's findings before he could start following the leads he had gotten from Vincent the previous night.

He got to the station and immediately started looking into Jason Dean and the possible claim that he was a murderer. It didn't take him long to find that three Mission High students committed suicide 2 months prior named Heather, Kurt, and Ram. Virgil tracked down the police reports for the deaths. By all accounts, they appeared to be through-and-through suicides. If Jason did kill them, the killer would need to be quite close to either one of the victims or Jason himself. Linking the suicides would imply that he's close to all of them. Maybe through school? Science classes are more than likely to have liquid nitrogen and hydrochloric acid. Any teacher would have access, but I'll look more into science teachers in particular. He's displayed some anatomical knowledge as well. 

Captain Sanders walked into the precinct, calling for Virgil to follow him into his office.

"So, what do you have?" he asked, after they'd arrived and shut the door.

"The note is a book cipher based on Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The library has a copy of the specific edition I need to crack it, so I'm going to pick that up at noon, as soon as the library opens. Looking into the 'murderer' thing, there were three suicides at Mission High 5 months ago, whose names match the three not-coded words in the note- Heather, Kurt, and Ram. If they were murdered by Jason, that means the killer is close to one of them, most likely Jason himself. I think that's what the killer is alluding to in the note, but we'll see once I've decoded it. Add in the liquid nitrogen, and it points to a teacher, likely a science teacher. So I'm going to crack the code and look for other insights into him and look into Mission High science teachers. I have an updated profile, and I'll email that to you right away."

"That sounds wonderful, Mason. You've been doing excellent work; we're glad to have you."

Virgil shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I'm just doing my best, sir. If you'll excuse me, the library is about to open, and I'd like to get the book as soon as possible."

"Sounds great to me! Just send me that profile before you go."

"Will do, sir. Thank you." Virgil turned and left the room, hurrying to his computer before rushing to the library.

--

A short while later, he was back at his desk with a battered copy of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It wasn't difficult to decode the message, but it did take a bit of time and a lot of counting and re-counting. Word by word, the message became clear: He killed Heather, Kurt, and Ram. Find the weapon; I know he had it. It is your evidence.

Virgil sat back in his chair once he'd finished, puzzled by what the note revealed that he hadn't already deduced. 'He' has to be referring to Jason. He knew we'd find out the reasons for him choosing the previous victims, but he needed to be sure we'd know why he thinks Jason deserved to die. I looked at the police reports for those deaths; the gun used to kill Ram and Sweeney was recovered on-site and is in police custody. He's obsessed with his mission, though. He wouldn't make this claim if he wasn't sure. I'll look into that once we've caught our killer. For my peace of mind, at least. Virgil cracked his knuckles and picked up his phone.

"Roman Prince, SFGate, how can I help you?"

"Roman, it's Detective Mason. Can you come down to the station right away?" The responding scream was so loud, Virgil had to move his phone away from his ear. "I'll take that as a yes?"

"Absolutely, Detective. I will be there as soon as physically possible."

"Don't break any traffic l-" The line went dead, cutting Virgil off.

--

Far sooner than could have been legal, Roman skidded to a stop in front of Virgil's desk.

"HelloVirgildidyoucrackthecode?DoIgettowritearesponse?CanI-"

"BREATHE, Roman." Virgil stood, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Yes, I cracked the code. Yes, you will publish a response tonight. But I'm writing it. I assume your laptop is in your bag?" Roman simply nodded- he knew that if he tried to speak, he'd start rambling again. "Fantastic. Let's get going."

45 minutes (and one call from Captain Sanders to Dan Humphrey about how not allowing it to be posted immediately would be obstruction of justice) later, a new post was live on SFGate's website. It was 4:02 pm, two hours before the deadline.

An Open Letter to U N Owen

It was a pleasure hearing from you. While I obviously cannot condone your methods, you are correct that our justice system is imperfect, and those imperfections need addressing. You gave me quite a puzzle, and I enjoyed solving it. It was clever, but not clever enough. I hope you'll forgive me for not following your directions; please let me know if this is inadequate.

Vq rwv kv dnwpvna, aqw'tg ytqpi. Jg fqgup'v jcxg kv, yg fq. Yg'xg jcf kv htqo vjg xgta dgikppkpi. Dwv aqw cntgcfa mpqy vjcv. Aqw'tg hct vqq engxgt vq jcxg pqv mpqyp vjcv. Wpnguu K'o qxgtguvkocvkpi aqw, yjkej ku c fghkpkvg rquukdknkva. Aqwt qvjgt cuugtvkqp jcu dggp pqvgf, cpf K uygct vq aqw vjcv K yknn rwtuwg vjcv qpeg yg ugvvng vjku ocvvgt dgvyggp wu.

Hqt pqy, vjqwij, aqw ujqwnf mpqy vjcv aqw'xg iqvvgp unqrra, cpf vjcv kv'u qpna c ocvvgt qh vkog dghqtg K hkpf aqw cpf tgrca aqw kp vjg ngicn hqto qh vjg eqkp aqw icxg vjgo. Aqw yknn (ogvcrjqtkecnna) jcpi hqt vjku.

Sincerely,

Det. Mason Poirot II

--------------------

Logan refreshed SFGate.com for the thirteenth time that day and was finally rewarded for his tenacity; the post was less than five minutes old. He read it twice, rage simmering in his chest and a smile on his face. "Detective Mason," he said to his empty apartment, "a worthy adversary indeed. The game is on."

[amandajoyce118]

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 2 Easter Eggs And References

I finally finished watching this set of episodes last week, and finally got to type out all of Easter eggs and references this weekend. There will, of course, be spoilers for the episodes here, but I have a feeling anyone interested in Easter eggs has probably already watched the episodes by now.

Enjoy!

Chapter 12: The Epiphany

The Spinning Clothes Change

Well, this is straight out of the Melissa Joan Hart era of Sabrina Spellman, isn’t it?

Sister Shirley Jackson

Shirley is one of the members of the coven. Shirley Jackson, however, isn’t a fictional character. That name belongs to the woman who wrote The Haunting Of Hill House, now adapted into its own Netflix series. Brother Lovecraft is also mentioned, which is probably a nod to HP Lovecraft.

Dorian’s Grayroom

If you don’t understand that Dorian here is the title character from Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Grey, I’m going to guess you haven’t had any classic lit in your English classes yet. You will, don’t worry.

Salome

The entertainment at Dorian’s is actually a woman straight out of the Bible. She’s also the subject of an Oscar Wilde play, so someone’s a Wilde fan.

“They go low, we go high.”

Roz is a Michelle Obama fan. Another reason to like her.

“The half-witch must not ascend…”

This word choice seems purposeful considering Sabrina is from the same showrunner as Riverdale where we have a bunch of kids running around Riverdale trying to “ascend” with the Gargoyle King.

Chapter 13: The Passion Of Sabrina Spellman

Bye Bye Birdie

It’s funny that Sabrina starred in the Baxter High version of this play since the actress also dealt with it quite a bit when she was in Mad Men. Cute nod.

The Play’s Color Palette

Did anyone else get a Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet vibe from this play? Or was it just me?

Archie Comics At Cerberus’

Both the regular Archie comics as well as Afterlife with Archie can be glimpsed on shelves in the store.

Theo’s Locker

Theo’s high school story feels very Carrie at times. His locker being filled with feminine products is one of those times. Fittingly, Riverdale did Carrie: The Musical in an episode as well. So, you know the showrunner is a big fan.

Chapter 14: Lupercalia

So Many Archie Comics

Sometimes, it seems like that’s all the comic book store in town has. But it’s not, as we will see in the next episode.

Adam

So, there is a Dr. Masters in Archie Comics. The character here, and the character in the comics, don’t share the same first name though, which is likely purposeful since another Dr. Masters appeared on Riverdale as well. While his last name is likely a nod to the comics, his first name is likely a nod to the mythology of Lilith. The story goes that Lilith was created before Eve, that she was actually Adam’s first wife, before leaving the garden, thinking for herself, and also being branded as the world’s first demon, Lucifer’s first wife, or the world’s first witch, depending on the interpretation of the story. It’s fitting that Lilith gets a chance with another Adam.

Chapter 15: Doctor Cerberus’ House Of Horrors

Mrs. McGarvey

She’s played by science fiction actress Veronica Cartwright. She was in such classics as Alien, The Birds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Witches of Eastwick. She also appeared in TV classics like The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Wonder Woman And Aquaman

The long shots of the comic book store reveal images of Wonder Woman and Aquaman on the shelving, so, now we know they sell something other than Archie comics.

Arkham

The DC universe gets another shoutout when Harvey has his reading. The school he supposedly gets into is the Arkham Colony of the Arts, a nod to the asylum for Batman’s many villains.

Howard

Interestingly, also during Harvey’s reading, his roommate Howard is a familiar face for Riverdale fans. The same actor plays Dr. Curdle Jr. on Riverdale. Now, we don’t know if Curdle’s first name is Howard or not, but it would be a nice nod to the double appearance of Ben Button on the show last season and on Riverdale. I’m curious if Greendale is like and alternate reality for the Riverdale universe at this point.

Chapter 16: Blackwood

Ray Wise

He plays the Antipope here. Ray Wise loves to play devilish characters. He’s frequently a bad guy. In fact, he already played the devil for the show Reaper. Who else was on Reaper? Aunt Hilda herself, Lucy Davis.

Chapter 17: The Missionaries

Sabrina On Her Bike

The music that plays and Salem accompanying her definitely reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, no?

Jerethiel

If anybody was paying attention to “Jerry” before the reveal that these witch hunters were angels, they would have noticed the name on his nametag. That suffix is a dead giveaway for his angelic roots. Also, cute that these angels are inspired by the Mormon religion, though I’m sure the Mormons don’t appreciate being depicted as the bad guys.

“God will forgive your original sin…”

This line confuses me since “original sin” was supposed to be eating from the tree of knowledge. Essentially, free will is original sin. But it doesn’t actually seem like that’s what the witch hunters are references, but rather just the sinful behavior of the witches in general. It’s an odd phrasing, so I threw it in here.

Sabrina The Savior

Not only does Sabrina get the crown of thorns, but she also gets pierced in the side, and holds a crucifixion pose to get things done. The imagery is clear.

Chapter 18: The Miracles Of Sabrina Spellman

(Side note: I love that Harvey made the Dark Phoenix comparison here. Anyone who has ever seen anything related to X-Men would have likely had the same thought. Sabrina not appreciating that Harvey compares her to a comic book when their entire lives are out of a comic book is also really amusing.)

Methuselah

His name is a reference to the longest living man in the Bible. But he’s played by the incomparable William B. Davis AKA the Smoking Man from the X-Files.

Chapter 19: The Mandrake

Sweetwater River

The ritual Sabrina is supposed to partake in involves making a golem and drowning your double at Sweetwater River. Sweetwater is the river that separates Greendale from Riverdale. It’s also where Jason Blossom was lost and Cheryl Blossom almost died - a set of twins, or doubles as it were. Nice symmetry.

The Ghost

The sheet thrown over Lilith’s new Adam before he tries to kill Sabrina is an homage to one of Michael Myers’ kills in Halloween.

Mandrake-Sabrina’s Scream

Okay, my first thought here was that it was a nod to the idea of mandrake roots looking like babies and how they were used in the Harry Potter series. (The Mandrake scream being fatal once mature.) But it also works as a nod to the screeching in Invasions of the Body Snatchers. We’ll call it a double egg.

Chapter 20 The Mephisto Waltz

The Episode Title

It’s taken from Mephisto, or Mephistopheles, a high ranking demon in German folklore. It’s also the name of a demon in Marvel comics, but that’s probably not related. It’s also the name for the devil in Faust, which makes another person with a name for the devil (Nick Scratch) becoming the literal embodiment of the devil rather poetic here.

“Ashes, ashes, he falls down dead…”

I like that the sisters decide to kill Blackwood using a spell to the tune of “Ring Around The Roses,” which was actually a song about a plague. Were they trying to give him a plague? Fitting.

“Not today, Satan.”

Glad to see modern pop culture makes its way into Greendale outside of horror movies and comic books.

The Archies

Sabrina still has her thermos for the fictional Archie comics band in her room. I’m sure there are tons of Easter eggs in her room if we could actually see everything. Just like Harvey still having Archie artwork on his walls.

Masquerade

The song is from Phantom of the Opera, in case anyone watching the show doesn’t love musical theater as much as the rest of us.

That’s it! That’s all I’ve got, though I’m sure I’ve missed some since I’m not as well versed in horror and probably didn’t catch all of the movie references.

[69annebowlin69]

14/3/19 - 14/7/19 Watching True Detective Episode Six and Seven

7.06

It’s likely that this version of my body - flabby in the centre, bulky around the edges - will be the one i die with, allowing i maintain it properly, and for the first time today i realised it might be ok, that i was so scared of turning doughy and shapeless again that i missed that my body right now might be ok to have for thirty more years or whatever.

7.14

‘Wondering why it took two days to find that backpack’

‘Took god six days to make the world!’

***

17.19

Okay so a few things. First, i only remember the pink room and Vulture is pay-walled now so i can’t  crib from their recaps, which are usually basic but written smartly. Two, i started watching Ep Seven on one of the small screens where the backs of peoples heads should be, halfway through an eight-hour flight. The person reclined ten-mins in. Thirdly i’ve not taken adderall today, in fact i finished the valium we had before boarding. Fourth, I no longer feel comfortable admitting that my body will stay the same til i die (see 7.06, written months ago).

Okee, in the words of Hays, “lets True Detective!!” - that famous and good catchphrase we all love

17.36

Two people have text me that The Beguiled is on Netflix. Looking forward to watching it through Emmy’s account later! Stephen Dorff is in a lesser Sofia Coppola, i think. Where he’s an exiled actor holed up at the Chateau Marmont and his daughter gets dumped on him? I’m looking to watch that one, i love that early 2010s earnest low-concept, major release, arthouse director stuff. Tree of Life core. Basically any trailer where bed sheets are unfurled, curtains billow and there’s a pool, i’m pre-booking.

17.49

Not to dig up old ground…this title sequence is such a downer. Really cools one off after the Previously On.. sequence.

17.53

This man Mahershala really going to be the next Blade. Folks, he’s already been up against Deacon Frost. Folks? I said he’s… oh we did that already.

17.56

First earnest post of the blog: the shot ascending the rusted stairwell towards, first Tom Purcell’s prone legs and then his bloodied body, with Roland crouched over, is a nice touch.

17.57

Emmy has thrush, it’s called Thrush, not a yeast infection, which i keep saying instead, and to which she squirms. It’s not gross, i remember the phrase ‘cottage cheese-like discharge’ from school, which is also not gross. Just, i can’t not imagine a container of cottage cheese, one of the 300g tubs that i used to eat, even though I can’t imagine it’s so much that’s released. We had sex last night and everything was, uh, extremely good. Sex

18.04

This season’s palette is immoveable. That slate grey, wide open spaces of the midwest containing nothing, not terrifying, not hopeful. Just drab. In the first season, there were nuances between locations and eras. When they drove out to the meth lab, Woody wore the Keith Haring t-shirt etc, the bayou was saturated and chemical-bright. Season two a kind of bright shimmering L.A. was counterpoised by seedy neon bars in which Farrell drank.

18.19

Tonally, the voices of Mr and Mrs Hays are at odds. Sonic discord between his steady montone and her fluttering, often close to cracking, timbre.

18.25

Rust and Marty! In the papers! On the laptop! Feels kind of sad. Pizzolato revelling in former glory.

18.28

They should redo s2, with all the same actors, but give someone else the job of fleshing out the story. They should redo s2 every five or ten years. I suppose HBO always do a similar version anyway. Scratch that. Keep up the good-to-middling work, my friends at HBO!

18.31

My man is looking at FLIGHT RECORDS!!! Fuck yes, sound the Epstein alarm. IS Pizz on those flight logs? How does he know so much about this racket? Same question for Stan Kubrick. I read Kubrick made Kidman and Cruise keep things from one another on the set of Eyes Wide Shut, or like set it up so that Cruise was unsure where he stood with Kidman and over time developed insecurities and doubts and misgivings, which transpired on screen, but also in their personal life. Damn. WIld.

The latest on Epstein, there was a comprehensive Daily Beast piece about his ties to Clinton and how their relationship stretched earlier than ’02, which is what Clinton claimed. Epstein actually attended balls or galas in the white house as early as ’92 and donated money to whatever that charity is that aims to protect the white house as a historic landmark.

Anyway, back to these mf flight records.

18.39

This is eerily similar to the Clinton Kill List. All these people, all these suicides, what a tragedy! Such morbid bad luck!!

18.47

Ok the pace of this is course-correcting - less of the meandering stuff and how much of a bummer it is to get old, lose your family and memory etc, and more long and birds-eye shots of cars snaking after one another on eerily empty nighttime b-roads.

An empty, rotting barn lit only by headlamp, gloves, cuts and bruises. The music hitting.

18.56

If i’d paid more attention i might have seen the signs, but i’m not sure that there were clear signs of the rift between Hays and Roland developing over a dead body that they atmospherically had to bury in the backwoods. Always burying stuff in the backwoods at dusk.

18.59

“say it. Say it then, motherfucker.”

“no… i just want you to know that i’m thinking it.”

White HBO crime writers really think they have a pass on saying, writing or alluding to the n-word.

19.00

The complex form doesn’t fit the simplicity of the relatively straightforward story of a child sex ring. We saw the same conspiracy uncovered in s1, with a more interesting narrative structure where Hart and Cole were dishonest to the investigators and we got to see their words diverge from the events of the case as they kept more aside. Their own memories and fragments of what only each one knew, never revealed to the other.

This narration is reaching for something grander, more poignant but it’s hurt by the poor storytelling of the missing children. I don’t care about the missing children, i have a passing morbid curiosity of the details of the child sex ring and dirty underground parlours and pink rooms where the kidnapped children were taken, there’s interest in seeing why this was never uncovered. However, even though they’ve built the character Hays very well, the three different iterations of him that circle round one another, drop in on one another - that’s controlled structure done in a way that suggests chaos, but if there’s nothing interesting to structure, what purpose does it serve?

[agent-hood]

Blue Monday ch.1

(//shout-out to @agentargus because you’re the very best)

Immersion therapy- that’s what they were calling this. Some of the gate crew had called her down and explained they had set up a ‘quick trip’ to a ‘safe’ alternate universe- an hour in an alternate London. Only when she crossed over and checked the monitor in her watch, it read ‘1982, June 24’ and ‘countdown: 183 days, 00:00:00’, which promptly started counting down.

Those fucking assholes.

She was lucky to have Hampton with her otherwise she’d be having a full and complete meltdown. In every alternate universe she’s visited, willing or otherwise, she died within moments. How the fuck was she supposed to last a whole month?

Barring all the things that could kill her immediately (getting hit by a car, getting shot in a mugging, having a piano fall on her -yes that did happen-), how was she supposed to survive a month with no money, no contacts, and no identification to get those things.

Well at least it was night and there was a pub nearby, so she could at least flirt her way to some free drinks as she contemplated her next move. As she made her way to the door however, it burst open. Smacking her right in the face as someone rushed past her into the nearby alley.

“Hey what the fuck!” She shouted, making to follow the guy, only stopping when she saw he was puking his guts out by the side of some garbage cans. Having had more than her fair share of ‘too many drinks’-episodes, she couldn’t really fault him, especially when she’s heard the soft crying that accompanied it.

Fuck it, her predicament could wait. Plus she figured being nice for a minute wouldn’t cause too much damage to this timeline, right?

“Hey guy,” She said softly, as if she were approaching a scared animal. “You doing alright? Need me to get you some water? Or...?” She trailed off, backing up as he rose to his full height.

‘Oooohhh shit!’ She swore to herself, cursing her luck... again, as she recognized the person in front of her. This was this universe’s Harry Hart (super spy). His hair was a little more ginger (and less grey) than the Harry of her universe and timeline, but she’d recognize that Bespoke suit anywhere.

The only thing that really threw her off was how... soft he looked. Granted this was the eighties so he was probably just recruited by Kingsmen and hadn’t had the chance to sharpen into the deadly professional she was acquainted with. His overall gentleness was compounded by the lost doe-eyes and helpless, shocked expression at her presence.

“No I should be- oh my goodness! Are you alright?!”

What?

His pointed concern towards her face allowed her to finally feel that her chin was wet. With blood. Her blood. Her nose was bleeding. As if her night couldn’t go any worse.

“Oop- uh yeah, I guess you kind of hit me with that door pretty hard. Ha ha.” She said trying to play it off as no big deal.

“Oh no that was you!? I’m so very sorry. Please tell me what I can do to make it up to you.”

“No really it’s alright. I understand- it happens.”

“Please. I insist.”

“Alright, um I guess you could just buy me a drink?” He shifted uncomfortably and cast a sidelong glance at the building next to them, clearly not wanting to go back in.

“Well... if you don’t mind, I do have some beer in my fridge and my flat’s not too far from here. Plus we can get you cleaned up.”

Parker hesitated. She was playing with fire even talking to Harry, who knew what damage she’d cause by further interaction. But fuck it, it beat sitting in an alley with a bloody nose wondering what her next step would be, plus she could really use that beer.

“Sure. So long as you don’t mind my dog coming.” Hampton wuffed in agreement at her side. Upon noticing the massive black dog, Harry’s entire demeanor changed. He immediately softened, crouching down to give Hampton a good pet while cooing at him that he was a ‘good boy’. Thank goodness this Harry also seemed to love dogs as much as her Harry.

“Of course he can come. In fact I’d be heart broken if he didn’t~” he said, mostly to Hampton as his attention to her and her injury were all but forgotten. It took a few obvious coughs, but eventually he got up and led her to his apartment.

“My apologies, I’m Harry. Harry Hart.” He said, offering his hand to shake. Parker took it and tried to quickly come up with a fake name to use while she was here, so as to better minimize her impact.

“I’m Parker and this is Hampton.”

Fuck.

Walking inside proved it to be very small and very dated, even for the time period, but Parker found it oddly charming. How could she not with the overstuffed couch that only just fit two people and the walls full of framed butterflies.

Harry sat her down at his small kitchenette and quickly returned with two beers, some antiseptic, and cotton balls. And before she could open and enjoy her drink, he timidly asked if he could check her nose.

“Well the good news is it’s not broken, but you may have black eyes for the next day or so. Again, I’m really sorry about that. I’m absolutely mortified at myself.” Parked grinned and opened her beer, scooting his a little closer to him as a signal to join her.

“It’s ok considering you were in kind of a hurry. Speaking of, are you alright? You seemed really upset.”

“Ah,” he said, clearly having hoped his own problems were forgotten. “It’s really nothing just some... problems at work.”

“Yeah I know how that goes.” She commiserated. ‘Problems with work’ is why she was stuck here in the first place.

“I just don’t think I’ll be able to do it.” He groused, thinking out loud rather than talking to her directly. “Here I have this wonderful opportunity and I can’t even get through an evening in a pub without become so frightened I get sick and have to leave... maybe I’m not cut out for it. I should probably just quit.”

“Oh Harry no,” she placed a hand on his knee in what she thought was a comforting gesture, but seeing his leg slightly jump at the contact she quickly removed it.

“I’m sure you’re doing great, whatever it is.”

“With some aspects, yes- I’m performing well above expectations. But there’s a lot of it that involves talking to people, or working a crowd, and I’m just... not made for that.” Parker hates that she had to play dumb, like she didn’t know exactly what he was talking about, but she had her own secrets to keep.

It seemed like he was really serious about quitting though, and she had no idea what effect that would have on the timeline as she only knew Harry as an agent. So maybe interfering and pushing him in that direction wouldn’t be so bad?

“You seem to be talking to me just fine.”

“...You have a point but I’m not sure, maybe because it’s just you, or if you’ll forgive me being forward, you don’t make me uncomfortable.”

“Even though we just met?”

“It could very well be your dog.” He smiled, and Parker nearly cheered at his little joke. He wasn’t as bad as he was making his situation out to be, he just needed a little push is all.

“I’ll make you a deal Harry. I’m currently stranded here with no cash and no place to stay for six months. If you let me crash here, I’ll teach you how to move past all those troubles you’re having.”

He mulled it over for quite some time. Parker almost thought he was either ignoring her or would show her the door once her beer was finished.

“...you really think you’ll be able to help?”

“Absolutely. I used to have a similar problem at my job so I know ~all~ the little tricks of navigating crowds, how to not embarrass yourself in a ballroom, talking to people effectively and with purpose.”

He hummed in response and thought it over. Parker hoped she made a good enough offer, but anxiety was something very difficult to deal with and also made a good argument to have things stay the same. He turned towards her again and shot her a small, if sad, smile.

“How do i know you’re telling the truth? And how do you know you’ll be safe and I won’t take advantage?”

“Well, I did convince you to take me back here right?” She grinned coyly. “As for the other thing- Hampton likes you. I wouldn’t offer otherwise.”

He took another moment to think about it, eyes sliding frequently over to Hampton where he sat with his head resting on the kitchenette table. Finally he offered his hand to her once more.

“Very well then Parker, I accept your offer.”

[grace13star]

Contemptible Me Chapter 1: Virgil

Triggers: Descriptions of fighting, blood and a wound. Also minor swearing.

Characters: Virgil (Sanders), Roman (Prince), Logan (Berry), Patton (Hart), minor background OCs

--------------- 

Virgil Sanders groaned and buried his head in the pile of books on his desk.

“You good, Brendon Urie?” Roman Prince, Virgil’s roommate asked, looking up from his sketchbook.

“No,” Virgil groaned again.

“What's the problem?”

“School starts tomorrow.” He groaned for the third time.

“Isn't it just wonderful?” Roman beamed. “I can't wait for the performances.”

“Shut up, Canigula.”

“...Who?”

Virgil lifted his head. “You know all those musicals-” he gestured to Roman’s half of the room, covered in musical posters “-but you don't know Be More Chill?”

“Is that a Broadway show?”

Virgil laughed slightly. “No.”

Roman grabbed his phone and typed something. His eyes scanned whatever he had searched up.

“It says that Be More Chill is a book,” he reported.

“They turned it into a musical,” Virgil said. “Search it up with musical.”

Roman did so. “Oh.”

Virgil’s phone buzzed with a text. He glanced over and saw a glimpse of ‘Blocked Number’ in the notifications spot. He grimaced and ignored it.

Roman was pulling out headphones and not paying attention to what Virgil was doing, so he grabbed his phone and checked the text.

Axicunum. 11pm. XXXX XX St.

Virgil glared at the text.

“You okay there, Virge?”

Virgil looked up to see Roman looking concerned, one headphone in and the other dangling and blaring More Than Survive.

“Yeah, just a friend being stupid,” Virgil lied.

“I am loving this musical,” Roman said. “It comes off a bit crude, but the music is wonderful.”

Virgil put the text out of his mind and grinned at his friend. “Just wait until you get to I Love Play Rehearsal.”

Roman gasped. “That's my song!”

“You haven't even heard it yet!”

“Shut up, Pete Wentz.”

“What's with all the compliments lately?”

There was a knock on the door, and then the person who knocked opened the door and walked in.

“Heya, kiddos!” Patton grinned.

“You’re not even a year older than me,” Virgil deadpanned.

“Pssh,” Patton bounded over to him and hugged him from behind. “ But you’re so cute!~”

“Shut up,” Virgil grumbled. “I am not cute.”

Logan pulled Patton off. “Patton, don’t smother him. That can’t be good for his health,”

Patton giggled. “Sorry. Are you guys ready for school?”

Virgil groaned yet again and banged his head on the desk yet again. Then he rubbed his head. He hadn’t meant to hit it that hard.

“Careful there, Panic At The Everywhere,” Roman said. “Don’t want anymore brain trauma,”

“Any more?” Virgil asked. “When…”

“Well obviously you were dropped as a child by your parents. I mean, look how you turned out.” Roman grinned, obviously pleased with the joke.

Virgil felt his throat close up a bit. He tried to laugh it off, but it was weak.

“Are you sure you’re okay, kiddo?” Patton asked. “You don’t sound okay.”

Virgil had to smile at that. “No, I’m not okay.” He paused for effect. “I promise.”

Roman groaned, Logan shook his head, and Patton grinned.

“No, but seriously, I’m fine,” Virgil reassured them.

Roman started off on a rant about something or other, and Virgil zoned him out. His mind was on the text. Did they have to text right at that moment? It’s like they knew how he was feeling and just had to make it worse. Because they hadn’t messed everything up already.

“-gil. Virgil!”

“Huh?” He looked up, startled.

“Hey, I asked if you had any plans tonight,” Patton was looking concerned again.

“Oh, yeah, I have a shift at my job,” Virgil lied. It was becoming a habit.

“Aww, too bad. We could’ve watched a movie before the term started,” Patton pouted. “Not in my room, James is going to be there.”

James was Patton’s roommate, and he was literally the worst roommate ever. He hid illegal alcohol in their room, most likely did drugs, and, worst of all, thought Roman and Virgil were dating and was very homophobic about it.

“You guys could still do that,” Virgil said. “Just don’t watch the Black Cauldron without me,”

“Don't worry, Edgy On Purpose, we’ll only watch soft and fluffy ones, finally without your comments,” Roman said.

Virgil pushed aside the tiny pang of guilt that gave him, and he realized that Roman was joking.

“Just don't get too bored without me,” he grinned.

“We’ll do it here, then,” Roman announced. “We’ll save the Black Cauldron for our Annual Movie Night at the End of the First Week of School.”

“Yeah, great. Can’t wait to get another bowl of popcorn dumped on my head.” Virgil deadpanned.

“One time!” Roman exclaimed. “And I said I was sorry!”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I had popcorn in my ears,” Virgil grinned.

“Hey, why don’t we watch something right now?” Patton suggested. “You’ve got a little bit before your shift, right? So we could watch something right now!”

Logan adjusted his glasses. “That would be adequate, as I was hoping to spend some times with all of you before classes took up all our time.”

Roman shrugged. “Yeah, sure. What do you say, Virge?”

Virgil smirked. “I think...I’m picking!” He lunged for the movie bucket next to the tv and Roman, after screeching in surprise, was right behind him. Virgil reached it first and pulled out a movie.

“That seems fair,” Patton said, giggling at their antics. “What did ya pick, kiddo?”

“Again, not even a year older.” Virgil held up his choice.

“Ooh, nice!” Patton grinned.

“Good choice, Virgil,” Logan complimented.

“Megamind?” Roman whined. “That’s not even Disney.”

“No one said it had to be Disney, Forever 21,”

The streets were dark and grimy and Virgil grimaced at it. Seriously, was it so hard to throw away your wrappers? He saw one right next to a garbage can, for heaven's sake.

Gods did he hate this. The waiting.

He glanced around, paranoid that those dang heroes would come and kick him in the back when he was distracted. He couldn't fail this. If he did, who knew what could happen to...

What was that? Was that movement, or was his mind playing tricks on him? That would be just his luck. He heard Spider-Man, or Peter Parker had bad luck since there were all those people dying in his life. He called it Parker Luck. It was an ironic poke at his bad luck, and that was such a mood right now. Maybe he had Sanders Luck. That would explain a lot.

The thing moved again and Virgil realized it was just a cat.

Anxiety sucks.

Virgil's stomach was twisted and he felt a bit nauseous. Sadly, this feeling was beginning to be familiar.

The truck across the street started to move and Virgil started his work. His dirty, disgusting work.

He wove an illusion around himself and started across the street as the truck lurched forwards. He hardened and pointed a shadow and it punctured the front wheel of the truck. He pulled it back so a larger hole was ripped and the wheel deflated, bringing the truck down.

The back doors were thrown open and two men with guns got out to investigate. They passed him and Virgil expanded the illusion around him and pulled open the door to the truck. To anyone inside or outside, the door would look closed.

Inside there was another person and, even though Virgil had his illusion and the man would not be able to hear him, he was as quiet as he could be. Just because he had superpowers didn't mean he wasn't still anxious about literally everything.

Virgil's mission looked simple on paper: Use illusions and shadows to break into a government vehicle transporting Axicunum and then escape with no confrontation, hopefully, and leave the stolen government materials at the usual drop spot.

But of course everything had to go wrong.

It was because of that stupid guard.

Not the one inside, no. He didn't move. But one of the ones that went outside came in and blocked the exit. His gun was pulled out, and Virgil really didn't want to get shot, or for anyone to get hurt.

Dang it.

"We got a flat tire," the guard said in a surprisingly high pitched voice for his burly body. "Don't know why yet. Stay on guard, you know that Anxiety person's been doing stuff like this."

The guard that had stayed inside stood up and Virgil saw the kid looked younger than him.

Double dang it.

"Should we check the 119, Robert?" The kid asked.

Triple dang it.

"Yeah," Robert said. "I'll stay here so if he's still here-" he raised his voice "-we're onto him."

This situation officially called for a dammit.

Virgil saw no way out of it. He released the illusions around him and crossed his arms as best he could with the case of Axicunum in it.

"Alright, you got me," he said.

The young guard let out a little shriek of surprise and fumbled for their gun. Virgil groaned internally.

"Hey, no need for that," he said sharply, falling comfortably into the bad guy role. "Don't sweat it. I'll just take this case and be on my way, and we'll call it even, huh?"

Robert aimed the gun at Virgil. "Snowball's chance in hell, buddy. Put your hands up."

Instead, Virgil thrust his wrists out. "Here, just cuff me and get it over with."

Poor trusting Robert stepped forward, lowering the gun slightly while he pulled out the handcuffs. He grabbed Virgil's wrist and snapped it on one.

Virgil smirked. "Wow, didn't know you were into that," and then punched Robert in the face.

The man fell back clutching a bloody lip and Virgil quickly switched places with him so he was closest to the exit.

He glanced at the kid again. "You should consider going into a different line of work." Then he wrapped the illusions around him again and walked away.

The other guard that had left before was coming back to investigate what was shaking the van. Virgil slipped past him and ducked back into the alley. He looked back to see the young guard jump out of the van and scan the surrounding area, passing over the alley.

Virgil turned to the fire escape next to him and jumped onto it, climbing to the roof.

There he sat cross legged in the middle and commanded a shadow to break the cuff still attached to him.

He reflected on the fight and cursed himself. He hadn't needed to make that stupid joke, he could have just disappeared and been done with it. But Anxiety didn't care. Anxiety wanted to make it sting.

Virgil wasn't sure if it was a good sign that he was referring to Anxiety as if it was a separate part of him.

He sat for a few more minutes, not ready to get to the drop point. But his relaxation was interrupted when behind him a voice said "Drop it, Villain!"

Fifth dang it of the night.

He groaned and didn't turn. "Really not in the mood, Princey."

"That's the Fearless Prince to you," Princey snapped.

"Sure thing, Prince Naveen," Virgil turned to face the hero, who was glaring at him, obviously offended. Virgil stood as the Fearless Prince started to talk.

"Okay, first of all I am hurt. Naveen barely does anything and all he cares about is his money. I realize that was your point, but whatever. Also, what's with this stealing stuff? Why do you need...whatever that is."

"I don't need it," Virgil said, before he caught himself. No, he couldn't let anything slip.

"Then why do you take it, Charlie Frown?" The Prince crossed his arms and shot him what was probably supposed to be a terrifying glare, but looked more like one of those kittens that try to act tough when they're really not.

Virgil changed the subject. "Hey, where's Honor? Doesn't he usually tag along with you?"

"Honor doesn't like fighting, and his powers are more suited for off the battle field. Me, however..." The Prince drew his sword and pointed it sat Virgil. "I must protect my kingdom and all that reside in it. And you, Villain, are a threat."

"Yeah, great speech," Virgil faked nonchalance, that bad guy persona slipping back on. "Practice it in front of the mirror much?"

The Prince made an offended noise, that Virgil had taken to calling an 'offended Princey noise'. "No," he scoffed.

Virgil formed a sword from shadows and it fell in his hand perfectly balanced. "All right," he huffed. "Let's get this over with."

Virgil was never the one to make the first move when they dueled. And this time was no exception, as Princey lunged for him, Virgil sidestepping easily.

"C'mon, Princey, you can do better than that!" He called. Hopefully Princey would get angry which would cause him to make a mistake faster, which would get Virgil home faster. Hopefully Roman wouldn't be too insufferable when he got back, because he felt like sleeping for ten million years.

"Shut up, Hot Topic," Princey growled, and yep, he was getting angry, Virgil could see it in the tension on his face.

He smirked. "Aww, you think I'm hot."

Princey lunged again and this time Virgil blocked with his blade. Sparks flew.

"Give up, Anxiety," Princey said, swinging his sword again, Virgil ducking under it.

"And give in to you?" Virgil grinned. "Never."

The fight continued with no more talking, just lunging and blocking, parrying and stabbing. There was no contact other than the clang of the blades against each other.

Until Virgil stumbled and Princey's sword caught his arm, cutting him. He grit his teeth and stumbled away. He reached up to the cut and his fingers came away bloody.

Goddammit.

Luckily the cut was on his upper arm so his friends wouldn't see it. And it wasn't deep enough that he would bleed out, so as long as he bandaged it and avoided infections, he should heal up in a few days.

He couldn't risk any more injuries, so this is where he should take his leave. He dispersed the sword, unable to use it anyways with his arm, and took a step back.

"Sorry, Princey, but I've got somewhere to be," he announced.

"If you think I'm going to let you-"

"Oh no of course not." Virgil raised his hands and a few shadows curled around Princey's limbs, holding him there. "That'll let you go once I'm far enough away. Sorry about all this."

Then he jumped to the next roof, leaving the hero behind.

The case swung at his side as he ran, and he tried to ignore both it and the burning pain in his arm. Hopefully he still had a few dollars in his pocket, because he wouldn't be able to sneak by Roman and care for this. He'd have to do it on a rooftop or something.

The drop point was an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town, and if that wasn't cliche enough, the man who met him, the same man every time, was British and looked like Alfred from Batman.

As usual, when Virgil saw him he asked questions. The same ones every time. Who knows, maybe one day they'd actually answer.

"Who is your boss?" He asked.

Zip.

"Why does he need Axicunum?"

Zero.

"Why are you doing this?"

Nada.

And then, as usual, after the man left, Virgil took off his mask and walked away.

[pueroimmersi]

—    BASICS.

▸     IS  YOUR  MUSE  TALL  /  SHORT  /  AVERAGE    ?

eggsy is around average height, at 5′9″

▸      ARE  THEY  OKAY  WITH  THEIR  HEIGHT    ?

admittedly, he would rather be taller... but he tries not to get too bothered about it as it isn’t something that can be changed.

▸      WHAT’S    THEIR    HAIR    LIKE ?

eggsy's hair is a dirty blonde, sometimes more of a caramel colour, but it does lighten significantly during the summer. when he isn't working, it tends to just be a bit of a mess; he runs his hand through it and lets it be that way. if he's working, then he does put more effort into combing and using gel. it's quite short, but he no longer shaves the sides of his hair since joining kingsman.

▸     DO    THEY    SPEND    A    LOT    OF    TIME    ON    THEIR    HAIR     /    GROOMING ?

not really.  when he isn't working, he pays almost no attention to it at all except when it's truly a mess after waking up. typically, he's wearing a hat whenever he's outside so he doesn't really need to focus on the state of his hair, doesn't feel like he needs to be concerned about it while inside. he doesn't ever let it get too long though, even before kingsman. prefers it short.  when it comes to kingsman, then he does spend more time on it all. needs to, in order to fit the part.  

he's relatively "normal" with grooming habits - but he does shave most of his body hair, simply because he prefers the way it looks. 

▸      DOES  YOUR  MUSE  CARE  ABOUT  THEIR  APPEARANCE  /  WHAT  OTHERS  THINK ?

he takes cares of his appearance, but he doesn't care what other people think. he dresses for himself, more so when he's outside of kingsman, but he doesn't let what other people think affect his appearance or style.  he does dress 'more expensive' even when it's just trainers, a cap and a tracksuit: he's always wearing branded clothes.

—    PREFERENCES.

▸     INDOORS  OR  OUTDOORS    ?

outdoors.  while eggsy can be a home body, that tends to be when he's in a relationship with someone. he's used to having to be outside, avoiding dean and generally just wanting to stay away from the council estate as much as possible. he likes the freedom that there is with being outside, compared to how cramped and claustrophobic being inside can often be. he usually walks jb, goes for runs, just likes being outside.   

on the opposite, there are times that eggsy can spend days inside, only going outside to walk jb. this is most often coming back from a mission, when he needs a day or two to unwind. will order food and watch netflix all day and stay in bed.

▸     RAIN  OR  SUNSHINE    ?

sunshine.  eggsy is a summer boy, through and through. prefers it when it's warm, because he tends to run cold quite often. the exception is when it's too hot and humid, which he can't handle at all.

▸     FOREST  OR  BEACH    ?

the beach. living in central london means he can't go to the beach often, but he loves it whenever he is able to go. if he could choose, that would be where he'd choose to retire.

▸     PRECIOUS  METALS  OR  GEMS    ?

metals.  eggsy doesn't really see the point of gems, at least for himself.  but he isn't that much on wearing jewlery minus his dad's before joining kingsman. after that, he doesn't wear any apart from the signet ring purely for the taser aspect.

▸     FLOWERS  OR  PERFUMES    ?

flowers.  while he likes perfumes,  colognes more specifically,  eggsy finds himself a bit of a hopeless romantic when it comes to flowers. he likes the meaning behind them, more so when people know about those meanings when choose bouquets. he just thinks that they can brighten up a place, and he likes that even though he can't entirely explain why.

▸     PERSONALITY  OR  APPEARANCE    ?

personality.  surprisingly.   while when it comes to one night stands and short flings,  eggsy prefers appearance, they also don't often happen. he doesn't like them purely because he prefers to connect with people.  that's why he favours personality, because he can't be with someone that he doesn't connect with and get along with personality-wise.

▸     BEING  ALONE  OR  BEING  IN  A  CROWD    ?  

eggsy would rather be alone, rather than being in a crowd and feeling alone. he doesn't like being the centre of attention too often, as much as he finds himself being exactly that. he keeps himself to himself as much as he is able to. rather than being in a crowd, he sticks with the small group of friends that he has; brandon, jamal and ryan. he'd rather be with them than a pub full of people with no one to talk to.

▸     ORDER  OR  ANARCHY    ?

eggsy tries to incorporate a bit of both in everything that he does. even with kingsman, he doesn't quite keep to the rules the way that he should. but he also doesn't go entirely off the rails. he was more anarchy than order before kingsman, which is something that will never change - but he is trying to help and save the world, rather than hurt it any further.

▸     PAINFUL  TRUTHS  OR  WHITE  LIES    ?

painful truths. eggsy's never been a fan of lying. the truth always comes out eventually, and so he would rather feel the ache of a painful truth than the paranoia that comes from knowing that someone is lying. he's seen it before; with his mum and dean. the way that his lies bit away at her until there was nothing left. he'd rather just know the truth, regardless of how much that may hurt.

▸     SCIENCE  OR  MAGIC    ?

science. eggsy likes the idea of magic, but he knows that there's no sort of truth to it, no matter how much he may have wished for it when he was younger. 

▸      PEACE  OR  CONFLICT    ?

peace. eggsy has live with conflict all of his life, and his job revolves around conflict. he would just like some peace in his life. in any form that he can get it.

▸     NIGHT  OR  DAY    ?  

day. more specifically? dawn. eggsy likes it when it's brighter, when he can get things done and not have to worry about any sort of restrictions - but he also prefers it, more so, when it's quiet out in the world and he can go and run for a few hours first thing in the morning without having anyone get in his way or just ruin it in any way.

▸     DUSK  OR  DAWN    ?  

dawn.  visually? he does prefer dusk, though. he thinks it’s nicer to look at, but he likes the calm of both of them.

▸     WARMTH    OR    COLD ?    

warmth.  eggsy runs cold;  his toes are nearly always cold, and when it's winter, the heating is on or he's hiding away beneath a ton of blankets or with hot water bottles. he doesn't like being cold. at all. 

▸     MANY  ACQUAINTANCES  OR  A  FEW  CLOSE  FRIENDS    ?

a few close friends. eggsy doesn't really see the point of having many acquaintances, given that he doesn't want a lot of people involved in his business, honestly. he'd rather just have a few people that he can really rely on and trust, rather than a ton of people in his contacts that he still doesn't feel like he can entirely trust even a couple of them.

▸     READING    OR    PLAYING    A    GAME ?

playing a game. he likes reading, but there wasn't much available to him before kingsman, and he finds playing a game more stimulating, mentally and challenge-wise. he likes to be active, doing as much as he can at any time.

—    QUESTIONNAIRE.

▸      WHAT    ARE    SOME    OF    YOUR    MUSE’S    BAD    HABITS ?

eggsy has a few bad habits. more than he's willing to admit to, but the main one is that he smokes whenever he's drunk. he tends not to drink much, even though he often finds himself in situations that involve alcohol or in places that are often fueled by consumption. he also smokes weed. a lot. which is a bad habit, even though he doesn't admit that it is. he thinks it's fine as long as he stays away from the harder stuff.  

other than that? his bad habit would probably be his swearing. he can't stop it at all, no matter how hard he tries. even around daisy, he isn't able to stop it entirely.  

eggsy bites and picks his fingernails a lot - that's more of a nervous habit, though, but still something that he isn't exactly proud of doing. 

he leaves his trainers by the stairs, rather than putting them away in the shoe cupboard, or even just moving them out of the way.

▸      HAS  YOUR  MUSE  LOST  ANYONE  CLOSE  TO  THEM    ?        HOW  HAS  IT  AFFECTED   THEM    ?

lee unwin, eggsy's father, died when eggsy was aged 7 (roughly, who knows with the kingsman timeline, honestly). he always idolised his father when growing up, so it affected him deeply. he was always told stories about how great his father was, and stories about how he was when eggsy was younger - but eggsy could never remember them, which affected him negatively because he was so desperate to remember everything that he could. that he looked like lee, or acted like him. it was also one of the main driving forces, initially, of him agreeing to do the kingsman trials. while it did evolve into him wanting to do it for his own reasons, lee was why he agreed initially. he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, more so after dropping out of the marines due to michelle - especially as he'd joined to purposely follow in lee's footsteps. he just always wanted to live up to his name, and that still affects him deeply almost 20 years later.

the other loss of his life was harry hart; something that shook him to the core, more than he was willing to acknowledge or admit to. he tried to emulate him in every way that he was able to. it, perhaps, did shake him and affect him more than lee's death did, because he had memories with harry. he wanted to make harry proud, in any and all ways that he was able to. he failed, though, and their relationship ended in an argument before harry died, which also hit him harder given that he knew that it was his fault that the argument developed the way it did. he didn't handle it well, at all. kept his house as a shrine, even after living there for two years.

▸      WHAT  ARE  SOME  FOND  MEMORIES  YOUR  MUSE  HAS    ?

all of the more 'current' fond memories are anything involving daisy. when she first grabbing his thumb in her fist. when she first walked. when she first said 'egg'. all of them revolve around her, because she is the centre of his life aside from kingsman. he wants her to be happy and healthy, and to have a good life and to not be affected by the environment that she had to grow up in initially. he wants to give her the best, in any way that he can.

one of the other fondest memory that eggsy has is the only time that he went to the beach when his father was alive: it was cold, given that it was nearly the winter, but they travelled down to brighton beach, and it was almost deserted except for kite fliers. it was one of the last times that they were all together as a family, before lee was recruited for the kingsman trials.

▸     IS  IT  EASY  FOR  YOUR  MUSE  TO  KILL    ?

it isn't easy, but it's perhaps easier for him than it is for most 'normal' people. eggsy does it because he has to, not because he wants to. he wants to create a safe place. he wants the world to get better - and so, unfortunately, killing people is a part of being a part of kingsman. there isn't any way around it, as much as eggsy sometimes wishes that there were. over time, eggsy has become desensitized to it, but it still affects him deeply in certain situations.

▸      WHAT’S  IT  LIKE  WHEN  YOUR  MUSE  BREAKS  DOWN    ?

it's rare for eggsy to break down. he prefers to keep his emotions buried in himself. to compartmentalize them and keep them to himself. when he does break down, it's typically when he's alone. he finds it too vulnerable to do so in front of other people - and so, if eggsy were to break down in front of anyone, there would be a tremendous amount of trust there. it can go one of two ways: violently, or an overwhelming amount of emotion. eggsy will ruin everything around him, will trash his room and break things and yell until he physically is unable to. or he'll cry; sob and sob and sob until no more noise can be made. will stay where he is and try to make himself as quiet as possible, often when he's in bed in the middle of the night. there isn't much in terms of an inbetween.

▸      IS  YOUR  MUSE  CAPABLE  OF  TRUSTING  SOMEONE  WITH  THEIR  LIFE    ?

it is very rare, but eggsy knows that when he's working with someone from kingsman, that he does have to trust them (literally) with his life. merlin, harry, roxy. he trusts them all with his life. there's no hesitation there between any of them about what they're doing and whether it's the right thing to do, because they all have each other's best interests at heart.

▸      WHAT’S  YOUR  MUSE  LIKE  WHEN  THEY’RE  IN  LOVE    ?

honestly? eggsy initially goes into denial when he's in love. doesn't let himself believe it, at all. that he isn't in love with the person, and it usually tends to involve him avoiding them to also avoid the emotions that he's feeling towards them, because he can't let himself be in love with them. it tends to sneak up on him. when he's okay with it? when he's with that person? he's soft. softer than he is with anyone else, because he doesn't get that opportunity in any other aspect of his life - hasn't had it either, at any opportunity, given the circumstances of his life. he wants to be quiet and calm with someone; to sit with them all night and talk, or just be comfortable in silence with them. to be able to shove his cold toes under their thighs when sitting together on the sofas together, and enjoy the moment together. he is overly-affectionate at some points: he likes contact, however small. likes brushing fingers together in public, even though he isn't much for pda beyond hand-holding. he wants to be close and have that connection. he wants to be able to tell the person that he loves everything he's thinking, about the good and bad parts of his day. but also to just sit there in silence and watch the news, or listen to the radio, and not have it feel like it's an issue or something to be embarrassed by.

TAGGED: @agnt-roxy

TAGGING: @hartif / @knightfailed / @marwnad / @statesangria / @rottweilerrr / @underoosed / everyone

[twelvesignsrp]

congratulations lorena, cancer is now elizabeth ruth marino-heart with the faceclaim naomi scott !

Character Sign: Cancer

Character name: Elizabeth Ruth Marino-Hart Birthday: June 21, 1997 10 AM Sexuality: Homosexual (but questioning) Gender: Cis-female Moon Sign: Capricorn Faceclaim: Naomi Scott Power:

Clairvoyance- In the days after the event on the beach, Ruth found herself painting strange things–things that hadn’t happened yet. She often entered a trance-like state while she worked, letting the art move through her and onto the canvas, but this was different. It was as if she was possessed by some greater power, overwhelmed by the flow of nature and time and space into each other to form life, pure life. Ruth kept her ability secret from the others, insisting she had not been touched by magic. She wasn’t sure she could really call it magic anyways, it could just be coincidence.

Over time and practice, she discovered there was absolutely no coincidence happening here. She was painting and drawing occurrences that she never could have guessed in her wildest daydreams. Still, she held her secret close. The others had their team, they had their cool new abilities that could burn or lift or heal the world around them. They would all die together if the visions weren’t stopped. Ruth had art. She could trust art. Art never let her down or disregarded her needs or told her she wasn’t special. Art was her one true love. If she could control the visions, she could find the solution in the constant slipstream of time and save them all. She didn’t need their help, their pity, their fear. They could deal with their own problems, and she’d deal with hers.

When she stole the locket from Jude in an attempt to get greater control over her visions, her power increased in way she was unprepared for. The visions came with greater frequency, greater urgency, calling out the same frantic message. DEATH DEATH DEATH. Overwhelmed and panicked, Ruth abandoned her art. She prepared to leave school, to apologize to her parents and return home. If she could get as far away from Durham and magic as possible, maybe it would leave her. It didn’t work. The magic pooled up in her system, pressure built until her skin cracked and it all spilled out. She didn’t need the paint. She didn’t need the charcoal. She had everything she needed right here, inside her. Blood.

During her time in the hospital, Ruth finally accepted that she couldn’t do it alone. If they were going to survive, they had to do it as a group. The visions began to come without the paint, flashes of here and there layered on top of each other like a bad photoshop job. Over the months of February and March, the flashes grew, changed shape, obtained substance. By the time they entered Aries season, Ruth saw visions without the paint and charcoal and graphite. Her dark brown eyes flashed with blue fire as the sight veiled over her own vision, seeing places and people as they will be, not as they are.

What do they study? Against her parents wishes, Ruth abandoned med school to study her one true passion and the only thing that makes her feel complete–art.

Biography: (must be at least three paragraphs long, this section should be a catalog of your characters life and the important parts of their personality)

Ruth and Marco Marino-Hart were born on the same day, and from that moment the twins were inseparable. Even from the earliest days, it was clear to see the two babies were very different in behavior, even though they looked so similar to each other. While Marco looked directly at you–with sharp intelligence in his dark gaze, and he interacted with your prodding fingers and reacted to your cooed words–Ruthie was something else. She was easily distracted, distant, more noise but less understanding. It was clear to see that Marco possessed an unusual intelligence.

Even before grade school, it was obvious that Marco was being trained and shaped for greatness. Ruth’s parents doted over him, putting him in countless activities and classes. He excelled at every challenge they presented him with. A prodigy son, a chosen one, gifted and miraculous. Beside his accomplishments, Ruth felt small and purposeless.

Ruth went through a whirlwind of different sports and activities. One by one, giving them her all before exhausting herself and quitting before she could even obtain any skill. She didn’t have Marco’s natural talent. Nothing she ever did was good enough to make her parents fuss over and coddle her like they did to him. She bottled up the jealousy and the disappointment. After all, Marco was truly special. Excellence was built into his DNA. She could try all she wanted, she would never live up to her genius brother’s stunning record of success.

A braver or more reckless child might have acted out for attention. Any kind of attention at all was better than being the mediocre normal child. Despite all the attention she craved, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She couldn’t bring that sort of stress on her brother. Poor Marco was already so heavily laden with his studies and the weight of impressing their judgemental father, she couldn’t bear to make him worry about her as well. The boy may not have shown it, but she knew it better than anyone, he was a sensitive boy, full of worries. She loved him too much to lash out against father’s expectations of her. Instead, she discovered other ways to express her turmoil, through art. She poured herself into drawing and painting. The loneliness while Marco was away studying no longer pressed down around her like a crushing weight. She had found a purpose, something to live for. When she was creating, she was no longer the mediocre normal child, she was unique and her suffering was beautiful. All of her pain found an outlet in the paint and she would spend hours at her easel as if they were minutes. She was always doodling on everything, art spilling out from her every motion. It became an obsession, the only thing besides her brother that loved her as much as she loved it.

In the early mornings and the late nights, when Marco wasn’t in his constant lessons, the two would escape the watchful eyes of their parents and the house staff as often as possible. They were two sides of the same coin. Some of Ruth’s fondest memories are of adventures with Marco. They would climb out onto the roof to avoid their father’s dinner parties, and instead try to count the stars. They ran down to the creek in the early morning as the sun was rising to catch frogs in the misty cold air. They rode their bicycles all around town, up and down every street. Ruth loved Marco intensely. Her parents always would remind her, “Marco is special, and sensitive. Watch over him, Ruthie. Take good care of him. You have to protect him from anything that might hurt him.” She didn’t need to be reminded. She would have done anything for Marco.

It became more difficult to remain his other half once he started school, a whole year earlier than she did. When she began school a year later, she had no trouble finding friends, but her friends often found Marco awkward when she tried to pull him into her social group. They saw him as Ruth’s genius brother, rather than the brilliant and charming boy that he was. Much of the time, she spent her time with Marco and Des, the sweet boy who didn’t let pretentious labels separate Ruth from her twin. They became fast friends, her and Des. The worries and complaints she feared to lay on her gifted brother, she could confide in Des to keep for her. The adults would often joke that her and Desmond would get married some day, much to the chagrin of the children. Ruth continued her duty of protecting Marco and nurturing his talent, though she began to drift away into her own adventures as she grew older.

There were other kids trapped in her parents social circle with her and Marco. Ruth was happy to see Desmond Beaumont at her family’s social events. There was also the captivating Imogen Song, and the infuriating Dane Duclos. Imogen lit a fire inside Ruth that could not be doused. As much as Ruth tried to ignore it, she was obsessed with the tiny, wild beauty. Ruth chased her everywhere, worshiping the very ground Imogen walked on. She was passion and chaos and freedom embodied. Ruth painted countless portraits of the girl, sketches of the curves of her slender body covered the walls of Ruth’s bedroom. When they explored each others bodies at the top of the broken ferris wheel in the hot summer just after Ruth’s 15th birthday, she knew she would never forget Imogen Song. The girl was branded into her heart forever.

Imogen’s mother grew sick and feeble in the following months. The girl changed, grew distant, and Ruth delicately gave her space to mourn. Her heart was later violently crushed when she caught Imogen kissing a man at a party. Her first love, her summer in paradise, became only a painful memory, another piece of suffering to fuel her art. She poured herself into her creations even more, beginning to create a style for herself. Themes of pain and suffering–war, poverty, starvation, slavery–pervaded her works. She began to sell her art, donating all the proceeds to charities, and with each piece obtained a shred of recognition from the art and charity communities. Ruth grew bolder, finally beginning to feel she had a talent, a purpose. Her parents tolerated her passions, but continued to push her on the path they had laid out for her. She would be a doctor, a respected profession that would pay well and uphold the family honor. She was going to med school. She already had the acceptance letter.

Ruth couldn’t keep quiet and obedient any longer. No matter how she pushed it down, the fit of passionate fury kept rising to the surface. Ruth refused to go to med school. She refused to be what they demanded she be. She had a life, and desires, and she would not sacrifice her happiness for them any more. They threatened to throw her out, they threatened to disown her, she owed everything to them. With Marco’s calm negotiating, they managed to come to an agreement. They begrudgingly allowed Ruth to study art at Durham University with her brother, as long as she upheld her duties to care for and protect him.

That deal became so much harder to uphold the night the twins stepped out onto the sands with ten other students.

Five interesting facts about your character:

1. Ruth started stealing her mum’s cigarettes at age 15. She had almost kicked the bad habit before that first night on the beach, but the stress of their curse has caused her to pick it back up again.

2. For her 18th birthday, her parents bought her a pink Kawasaki Ninja. Ruth loves her motorcycle, which she calls her “pony” because all posh princesses should have a pony.

3. She has called her twin brother a robot ever since they were very small, because he could never understand what she was so emotional about. At first she would doodle little robots on his notebooks and his things to make fun of him. Over the years, the little robot character grew into an affectionate representation of her brother. She drew it on everything he owned, like a signature–the lonely tiny robot in a big world of science and technology.

4. Ruth speaks Italian as well as English, as it is part of the Marino family legacy. She can roughly understand French, Spanish, and German, but cannot speak any of those languages.

5. Her parents put her in ballet as a child but she was not particularly talented. She struggled with constantly comparing herself to the other girls and suffered anxiety whenever she had to go to practice. One girl in particular, her current good friend Ava, was the biggest source of her jealousy and anxiety. Eventually Ruth’s insecurities overwhelmed her and she quit. She refused to do any other sports or group activities after that, focusing solely on creating art.

Character Quote:

You have incredible eyes And all the boys will go wild for you But I was scared In case you made me do those things But would you, oh Would you believe me that I was your fool? ‘Cause I’ve been lying awake at night Wondering where you are now And if that metal turned out right All my life, all my life, I said, it’s not right Nobody told me I could do something Nobody told me I could be something, yeah I have tried, I have tried to say it’s alright Nobody told me I could do something Nobody told me I could be something You wore undoubtable smiles You were divorced from inside, they said But I was disturbed When I heard that it’s not what you preferred It gets to the point they expected And who are you to disappoint them anyway

Time will get you in the end Just when you shook off that regret Around the corner comes out Mary In a fur coat to talk about it All my life, all my life, she said, it’s not right Nobody told me I could do something Nobody told me I could be something, yeah I have tried, I have tried to say, it’s alright Nobody told me I could do something Nobody told me I could be something Many words that have been spoken Cut me out like paper dolls Made me into something different Something I could not dissolve So far over, don’t their words slow ya All my life, all my life, I said, it’s not right Nobody told me I could do something Nobody told me I could be something, yeah I have tried, I have tried to say it’s alright Nobody told me I could do something Nobody told me I could be something

- “Paper Dolls” by Corinne Bailey Rae

If your character had a patronus what would it be? and why?

Rabbit - Ruth is soft and fluffy and pleasant in outward appearance. She can seem small, or fragile, or afraid. The rabbit is cute, but it is generally uninteresting. Everyone has seen rabbits before, they are not special. But her strength lies in her gentleness. She is watchful for predators, and quick to flee. But in the burrow, she is nurturing and warm. She is fiercely loyal and attached to her family. The rabbit is associated with the moon in some ancient folklores. The Rabbit in the Moon was quick, and cunning, and intuitive. It produced the elixir of immortality for the gods to drink.

ANYTHING ELSE?

My favorite color is green!

[mynotsoawesomescenarios]

Compos Mentis |2|

A/N: Do y’all actually like this story? I wish you guys would be more willing to let me know your likes and dislikes ;-;

~Allie

Warning: Mentions of suicide. 

|Intro| |Prologue 1 & 2| Part |1| |2| 

His session with Honey was quickly wrapped up as he couldn’t save it from the sexual turn it took. No matter what questions he asked her about herself, she would put a twist in the question and give him answers too personal for his comfort. She knew what she was doing, she took note of the tips of his ears getting red and noticed how often he found himself pushing up his glasses to try and refocus on the notepad.

He would be dumb to say that he couldn’t understand how she was able to make him so flustered but he still wished that she was just an insane woman with a tongue that had no trouble with words. Knowing who she is, knowing what she knows, he understood that she was doing it all on purpose and looked at him like he was just a game to be played and won over and over again. But she would be so much simpler to understand if she had just been off her rocker, not too intelligent for her own good.

He made it home and decided to shower and go straight to bed. He usually looked over notes from sessions for the day but he couldn’t bring himself to open the file and look back on the sinful things that Honey let slip past her smirk. He pulled off his clothes and let the warm water run down his back before taking a soft cloth lathered up with soap to his torso. He closed his eyes trying to forget some of the words she had said that stood out to him too much.

“Hell, you probably know if someone touches themselves at night just by looking at them.” He let out a cough and she smirked at him. “Ha-ha, relax Mr. B, I was just making a point. But…do you? Can you tell when someone, ya’know, does that?”

“This isn’t appropriate, Y/N.” Her eyes widened. Both because of his tone and having heard her real name for the first time in years. After her shock died down, she chuckled.

“I bet you do know everything about me.”

“I don’t know everything about anyone.” He said with a stern voice. He didn’t want her to get under his skin but she did.

She hummed in response and leaned back into the chair. The air thinned out and he decided to try and move the session forward.

“Okay, Honey, I’ll ask you again and please give me a different answer. Why do you think that someone would like to keep up with someone else’s life?”

“Like I said,” she scooted to the edge of her seat and leaned into him. “We all have interest in other people whether we admit it or not. I have no other answer for you, Mr. B.”

“But why is the interest there, Honey?” He clicked his pen and was ready to jot down what she told him which, without a doubt, would be fascinating if it came from her mouth.

“We all want something from one another. It would be money, attention, love, respect, even sex.” While Baekhyun wasn’t as surprised with her comment relating to sex this time, he still looked up to her as he continued to write.

“Wouldn’t you be able to put love and…sex under the umbrella of attention though? Those are too acts that require a lot of attention to be both given and received.” He was feeding right into her. He mentally beat himself up. Of all things he could have said as a response, he focused on the two things he wished to talk to her about the least.

“That could be true and false Mr. B. Plenty of sexual encounters would tell me that there are people who have sex for their own sake, just to please themselves, therefore neglecting their partner’s desires to be pleased properly.” The way she spoke sounded like she was in a college debate club, stating her facts clearly and making it difficult for Baekhyun to find a counter argument. But why would he need to counter what she said when she was speaking the truth? He shook his head and thought of ways to move the conversation in another direction.

“Since you like to observe people, what is one thing you first notice about a person upon meeting the first time?” This question says a lot about a person and he figured it would get him somewhere.

“Hands.”

“Why?”

“Because I like to make sure people have all ten fingers. Makes everything more fun.” She winked at him and instead of being flustered, he was unamused. He gave her a blank stare and put down his notepad. He took off his golden spectacles and folded the arms of them before placing them on top of the pad. He gripped the bridge if his nose, no longer willing to hide his frustration with her.

“Y/N,” she shuddered at the sound of her actual name, the name that had been dragged through the mud on national news years ago. “If you are going to continue like this, I’ll have you escorted out and taken back to your room.” His expression was hard and she was going to agree to stop. But it had been so long since she’s had someone to play with that she let her other half completely take over.

“Aren’t there better ways to punish me, Mr.B?” he sighed as she carried on. “You could throw me against the wall, rough me up a little. I wouldn’t mind, I’m a big girl, I can take it.” She grinned at him.

If Baekhyun hadn’t been an adult who was fully in control of himself, he would have sprung up at the tone of her voice. Her words danced around his ears and took a room in his brain, not to be vacant for a while.

He stood from his seat and opened the large doors. He met eyes with the guard on the left. “Get Honey back to her room, our session is over.” She felt a small sense of pride in how quickly you threw her out but also experienced a glimmer of disappointment. She liked playing with you but maybe she had done too much, been too blunt.

“Aww, c’mon Mr. B, I was just foolin’ with you.” She flashed him her winning smile and stood to her feet. Although her face and voice opposed doing so, she walked toward where he stood by the door. “Eh, maybe we can have fun next time.” She winked at him and stumbled as the guards roughly cuffed her. The way she welcomed the cold metal onto her wrists and ankles made Baekhyun feel and odd warmth. The way she looked when she squirmed against them excited him. She stared at him with her soft, psychotic eyes, the only moments her eyes didn’t meet him were when she blinked. He shook his head and closed the door, both craving to be far from her and pressed against her.

“Stop it.” He scolded himself as the warm water beat down his body. He felt incredibly guilty for having even considered thinking of Honey in such a way. But he also felt like he could somewhat relate to how she felt with her own patient years ago. Could he have been like her, a dangerously smart person, he thought. He wrapped up his shower and quickly went to bed eager to escape the thought of her that stayed in his brain like a parasite.

After what felt like minutes, he woke up to the bright sun that shown through his partially open curtains. The morning was filled with the smell of coffee and the lovely sound of…humming? He saw a beautiful silhouette walking towards him, covered in a lilac silk rob that met just at the valley of her breast and stopped above her knees. She came to the side of his bed and sat down two cups of coffee on the nightstand.

“How is my Honey doing?” His voice was thick, not his own.

She giggled at him and pulled herself on to the bed to lay next to him. “She’s good, Baekhyun.” She laid a hand on his bare chest and snuggled closer to him. “She’s been a good girl all for you.” She kissed the top of his peck.

“Oh, has she now?” He asked her in a sinister voice. “Maybe she deserves a reward?” he moved quickly to get on top of her and lay between her legs. She smiled at him and he gave her a gentle kiss as his hands traveled around her body. The fabric of the rob was very thin and as his hands searched, he found that she was completely bare underneath. “Uh oh,” he breathed onto her lips.

“What?” she scrunched up her brows.

“This is a very bad thing for you to do baby girl. You know how much I love to undress you. The way the smell of your wet cunt is released when I slide down your panties.” He tsked and shook his head in disapproval. “Turn over.” She shook her head, wanting to have intimate sex where she could see his face display his bliss. Not the painful sex, which she loved the feeling of but hated the disconnect. “Do as I say, Y/N.” She flipped onto her stomach and pushed her ass into the air, already knowing his next demand. He raised his hand high in the air and landed a hard smack on her backside.

He woke up with a gasp was covered in sweat that made his sheets and clothes stick to him. He was sick of himself at this point. He was usually so in control of his mind and now she was proving him wrong without even trying to do so.

He came into work, flashing everyone a strained smile that was starting to hurt his face. He was on his way to his office, right in front of it before Mr. Hart stopped him.

“Dr. Byun! Good Morning.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes but plastered that smile on his face before turning around.

“Good morning!” he returned the man’s excitement.

“I have two things to inform you of. First, last night, Honey got into some mess with another patient so you won’t be having her for a few days.” He was ready to start his second a bit of news but Baekhyun stopped him mid breath.

“Excuse me, a mess?”

“A little fight, nothing to worry about. She’s just acting out as she usually does.” Baekhyun hummed in response. “Ah, what I was about to say is that your final week is almost coming to a close.” He nodded. “So, will you be staying with us or should the other therapist be on standby just in case?” Baekhyun wanted to leave, forget about this place but he felt like it had a hold on him. He knew exactly what was holding him back but he refused to acknowledge the true reason.

“Um, is it okay for me to stay for a little longer? Not permanently but just to finish up with my patients. I’d feel bad for leaving them just as soon as they were getting better.” Mr. Hart huffed but nodded to him.

“How long do you plan on staying?” This question was sudden but Baekhyun figured that a few more weeks would be long enough to stick around and pick at Honey’s brain.

“No more than three months.” Mr. Hart nodded again.

“I’ll let them know that the new therapist should be ready between then and now.”

The rest of his day was easy. Or maybe it was boring, he couldn’t choose. He was somewhat relieved to not have an encounter with Honey but was incredibly disinterested in anything else. When his break came, he went to the cafeteria where the patience would be having meals right about now. He made his way to the dreary mess hall and bowed to the chef as he slipped into the kitchen. He pulled his lunchbox out of the industrial fridge. His food wouldn’t usually be here but the refrigerator in the staff room had been broken for the past two weeks. He walked out of the kitchen with his lunch bag in hand. As soon as he got passed the food bar he heard a shriek. His heart jumped and his gaze went up to see what has happening since lunch was usually quiet aside from the few who talked to themselves.

“Let me go to him!” He knew who the voice belonged to but she sounded so much different than the woman he talked to. Her usual voice was light and friendly but the screams she let out were filled with anger. “Let me talk Dr. Byun for just a few minutes!” He was so used to her using the endearing “Mr. B” when referring to him. Hearing her say his name was strange.

“Honey, you need to calm down and eat.” The nurse that was helping her eat while she was cuffed to the underside of the table spoke to her in a calm manner, probably used to Honey’s behavior by now.

“I won’t eat this shit!” Honey placed her cheek into the food and pushed the tray off of the table. It hit the tile floor in a loud clatter. As Baekhyun watched her, her eyes found him. She looked at him, her face void of emotion until she realized who she was looking at. He was amazed by the change in her demeanor when she saw him. He looked around a little before making his way to her.

“Mr. B, can I book a session with you today?” Her eyes pleaded with him.

“I was told that I wouldn’t have you for a few days, Honey.” A glimmer of sadness showed in her eyes and he swore it broke his heart. “But since you aren’t eating, I’ll consider taking you in if you promise to have your meal right now.”

“Yeah!” She nodded to him eagerly. “I’ll eat up all my food.” But her face fell when she looked to the floor and saw her food all over the place. “Oh,” She looked up to him and showed him a shy smile and then looked to the nurse sweetly. “Patricia, can you get me another plate of food? I promise I won’t waste it this time. I’m so sorry.” She nodded to Honey and went to get her a fresh tray of food. The nurse gave her thanks to Baekhyun before her went to his office to eat his own food.

After almost twenty minutes, there was a knock on his door and he raised his voice a little to allow the person in. The door opened slightly and Honey peeked her head into the room like a curious child. She had been in the room many times but always came into the room like something would be different, a habit Baekhyun hadn’t failed to take notice of.

“Have a seat Honey.” She smiled and assumed to her usual position, feet in the chair and hands resting on her knees. She smiled at him, waiting for him to start the conversation as he usually did. “Why were you fighting?” His got straight to the point and his voice was much more authoritative than normal, almost like the was ready to scold her. Her smile faltered a bit but she kept up the happy appearance.

“You know we all gotta give someone the quick one-two every now and then, Mr. B.” She ended her words in a giggle but Baekhyun was not here to be amused, he was here to get answers from her.

“Honey, I know you have the habit to make light of things, that’s actually a very good trait for people to possess, especially in the world we live in. But I want to know the real cause of your fight.” She gave into his serious questioning and changed her expression as soon as he could blink.

“I felt like it. This place is boring when I don’t see you.” He looked at her for a second too long when he processed her response. Her stone face went back to the soft smile she usually wore. “Why do you look at me like that, Mr. B?”

“I don’t look at you any specific way, Honey.” He looked down to his trembling hand that held his silver pen. He dropped the writing utensil and bought his hands together in front of his body.

“Do I make you nervous, Baekhyun?” His breath stopped when she heard him say his name. His mind drifted to his dream. He started of thinking of how she looked under him, needy and submissive. He cleared his throat and physically tried to shake away his thoughts but they stuck with him, and having her look at him while they went through his mind made everything worst. He wanted to tell her to get out of his head, wanted to scream at her and shove her away for the way she made him feel with just her words and wickedly innocent looks. “I’m doing something to you, aren’t I,” She smirked at him and cocked one of her brows upwards. He shook his head, unable to trust his voice. “Don’t deny it, I’ve been there too. And I’m sure you know I have.” He closed his eyes and composed himself. He couldn’t become like her. He wanted to speak but she started again.

“I’m going to leave again.” She said frankly. He looked up to her and asked her what she meant by ‘again’, as well as the general announcement of leaving. “They didn’t tell you? I escaped with the love of my life, rest his soul, and he killed himself when authorities found us. That’s why I didn’t see you for so long when you got here. I was on sub five for two whole months because I left.” His eyebrows twitched upwards. That explained her sickly looks on the first day he met her. And the man she went mad for committed suicide? This place had too many secrets for his taste.

“I don’t know how I’ll get out of here yet, but when I do, I’ll go to a place where I know no one would find me.” He didn’t write her confession down. He tried to convince himself that he didn’t know why, understanding that it would be regulation to notify the head of security of this. But part of him wanted her to leave, maybe then he could be free from her. But a much larger, more selfish part of him wanted her to stay, so that I could see her.

[placetobenation]

A new year has begun and along with it comes a new decade, but don’t say goodbye to the 2010s just yet as we here at the Place To Be Nation want to take a look back at the decade that just passed us by before we get too far into the 2020s. In this article I will be talking about everything that happened in the world of wrestling throughout the 2010s, this includes both the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the moments that made us go holy shit and the ones that just made us go WTF, so sit back and relax and get ready for what could end up being quite a lengthy article.

The First Monday of the Decade It didn’t take long for the decade to deliver a memorable moment as on the first Monday of 2010 we saw not one, but two wrestling shows battling for supremacy as for the first time since March 2001 WWE Raw faced competition from another wrestling company as TNA tried their hands at starting up another Monday Night War. In late 2009, TNA brought in Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff to see if they could turn the company around and make it a viable competitor to the WWE and one of the very first moves made by Hogan and Bischoff was to immediately move Impact to Monday nights. The January 4 show was a test run to see how well it would do against the juggernaut that was WWE Raw and if it did well enough they would be given that Monday time slot every week. Despite the January 4 show not beating Raw in the ratings they were still able to win over the Spike TV executives and were given that weekly Monday slot (which started in March), however, the company was far from ready to make such a monumental move so quickly and the creative decisions made by Hogan, Bischoff, & Vince Russo (who was writing in TNA at the time) weren’t going to get them there anytime soon. Hogan and Bischoff chose not to take full advantage of the talented roster TNA had at that time and instead brought in a lot of Hogan’s buddies from the past including The Nasty Boys, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, & Sean Waltman among others, but what they didn’t realize was that by 2010 wrestling fans were tired of seeing stars of the past and were more interested in TNA’s current roster. There were other decisions made by Hogan and Bischoff such as getting rid of the six-sided ring, having Abyss obsessed over Hogan’s Hall of Fame ring, trying to restart the NWO, and having AJ Styles be nothing more than a Ric Flair cosplayer that was just a slap in the face of what made TNA unique and made the fans fall in love with the promotion. Needless to say, the ratings were nowhere near high enough to compete with Raw and by May the decision was made by the network to move back to Thursdays.  TNA Wrestling wasn’t the only one making history on January 4th, 2010 as over in WWE we got the long-awaited and highly anticipated return of Bret Hart to the WWE after a 12 year absence, and if that wasn’t special enough on its own we got Bret making amends with Shawn Michaels who for the longest time he held a grudge against due to Shawn Michaels’s role in the Montreal Screwjob. While “The Hitman” was a shell of his former self due to past health problems such as having several strokes it was still heartwarming to see him finally come back to the WWE. Bret would engage in a feud with Vince McMahon that would last until WrestleMania XXVI when the two, unfortunately, had one of the worst WrestleMania matches of all time. After WrestleMania, Bret would continue to pop up throughout 2010 and would even be involved in a few more matches until he finally faded out of the spotlight with the exception of one-off appearances sprinkled in throughout the next nine years, including a second Hall of Fame induction in 2019 as part of the Hart Foundation. 

The Biggest Returns and One Big Debut of the Decade The Rock Bret Hart wouldn’t be the only big name that would return to wrestling in this decade as the following year the WWE wanted to have someone host WrestleMania XXVII and that man would not only be one of the biggest stars in WWE history but is also currently one of the biggest stars in Hollywood as we finally got the return of The Rock after a 7-year absence. The Rock would host WrestleMania, but more importantly, he would cost John Cena the WWE Championship in the main event of that show and this would lead to a match being made the following night on RAW for the following year’s WrestleMania XXVIII between these two WWE megastars which was titled “Once In A Lifetime”, this was a huge moment as never before in WWE has a match been publicly announced a year in advance. The Rock and Cena would trade jabs at each other throughout the year and would even team up at Survivor Series against the team of The Miz & R-Truth. The match itself delivered as The Rock put on a great showing despite being away from the ring for seven years and even was able to pick up the win, this wouldn’t be all we would see of The Rock in this decade, as he would return at Royal Rumble 2013 where he would end the 434-day title reign of CM Punk only to lose it to John Cena at WrestleMania XXIX.   Brock Lesnar The next big return would come the night after WrestleMania XXVIII when Brock Lesnar returned after a successful run in the UFC where he was the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Lesnar would bring a whole new feel to the show as anytime he was in the ring he brought a sense of realism and legitimacy that nobody else on the roster could provide. Lesnar’s run would be a mixed bag as most of his matches have been great but there is a handful that had a ton of hype and interest behind them but once the bell rang the match was highly disappointing. Lesnar would realign with Paul Heyman who had managed him during his first stint in the WWE back in 2002. Heyman would serve as the mouthpiece and hype man for Lesnar. Lesnar would have several high profile matches throughout 2012 & 2013 with John Cena, Triple H, & CM Punk. At WrestleMania XXX Lesnar would shock the world and make history at the same time when he became the 1 in 21-1 as he ended the WrestleMania winning streak of The Undertaker, as memorable as the moment was the match itself left a lot to be desired due to the fact that Undertaker suffered a concussion early on in the match and as expected the match never recovered after this. Lesnar and Undertaker would redeem themselves in the summer of 2015 when they had a two match series that included a Hell in a Cell match that exceeded all expectations given Undertaker’s physical condition at that time.

After conquering the streak Lesnar would then set his sites on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as he would defeat John Cena at SummerSlam in what is likely the most high profile squash match of all time and in that match Lesnar repeatedly hit Cena with German suplexes and coined his new catchphrase of “Suplex City” and from that moment on Lesnar would heavily rely on German suplexes during his matches to the point where it affected the quality of his matches. Over the next five years, Lesnar would reign as the World Champion on Raw, however, thanks to his very lucrative contract that allows him to work a very limited amount of dates per year Raw would be void of a World Champion for the majority of the time over those five years. Lesnar would feud with Roman Reigns on and off from 2015-2018 in a feud that felt like it would never end, and for some strange reason Reigns never beat Lesnar in any of these matches despite the fact that WWE wanted Reigns to become their next big star. Lesnar is definitely a very polarizing figure in the WWE but whether you love him or hate him, the fact is that he draws interest and without him WWE’s drawing power on their bigger shows would be significantly less than it already is. 

Sting The next person I will be talking about actually made his long-awaited debut in the WWE rather than a return. At the end of Survivor Series 2014, after Triple H had Pedigreed Dolph Ziggler (who was representing Team Cena) and rolled Seth Rollins on top of him, we hear the ruffling of feathers and the sound of a crow which mean that for the first time in his 29 year career the man known as Sting would finally make his debut on a WWE show. Sting would attack Triple H and roll Ziggler on top of Rollins to give Team Cena the win, which meant the Authority was gone…well for a few months at least. This would lead to a feud between Triple H and Sting which would culminate in a match at WrestleMania 31. The match between Sting and Triple H at WrestleMania 31 was nothing but an overbooked mess that served no other purpose than for Vince and Triple H to give one last kick in the nuts to the legacy of WCW. The match was fine at first as the two veterans were having a good match that kept the fans attention, however, once Sting started getting the best of Triple H we saw DX come out and eventually when the numbers get to be too much Sting gets help from the NWO (Hogan, Hall, & Nash). The match ends with Triple H landing a sledgehammer shot on Sting as he went for the Stinger Splash.  So let’s review they took a match between two guys who actually could still go in the ring despite their age and threw in a bunch of smoke a mirrors and then on top of that the smoke and mirrors they used made no sense as the NWO would never help out Sting as he was their top rival back in WCW. It would have been so easy to find three WCW guys to run in and help Sting and then at least that part of the match would’ve made sense, but you can chalk that up to Vince not knowing or caring about anything about the history of WCW and nobody around him caring to fact check it and I’m sure Triple H didn’t care either as it got his Kliq buddies Hall and Nash on the show. If the whole NWO debacle wasn’t bad enough the fact that they had Sting immediately get to his feet after being hit by a sledgehammer just so he could shake hands with Triple H just so they could have the image of a WCW guy looking inferior to a WWE guy on their biggest show. If they were going to treat Sting this was why not just go ahead and do the Sting vs Undertaker match, then at least fans could’ve got that dream match they always wanted to see. This would not be the last we saw of Sting as he would return in late August to set up a match against WWE World Champion Seth Rollins for the Clash of Champions PPV in September, during the match Rollins would hit Sting with a buckle bomb that would end up causing Sting to have a serious neck injury that would lead to him having to retire and thus cutting his WWE career short which means we will never get to see the Sting vs Undertaker dream match. Sting would go on to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of its 2016 class. 

Goldberg The final person we are going to talk about is Goldberg would make his return in late 2016 as part of a deal with 2K Sports which is the company over WWE’s video game franchise. After months of Goldberg and Brock Lesnar exchanging words online and at media events hyping up the video game we finally got the official return of Goldberg in a WWE ring on October 17. Goldberg would accept the challenge that Lesnar’s advocate Paul Heyman laid out the week before and said that Lesnar would be next and would be last. He would also make it perfectly clear that he is doing this so that his son can see him wrestle and this would lead to him bringing his son into the ring and having some very awkward moments which included his son taking his shirt off. The match between the two behemoths would take place at Survivor Series. Goldberg would make short work of Lesnar as he would beat “The Beast” in a shocking 1:26. The night after Survivor Series Goldberg would declare his entry into the 2017 Royal Rumble as he wanted to see if he could have one last run as a champion. Goldberg would end up eliminating Lesnar in the Royal Rumble only to be eliminated himself by The Undertaker a few moments later. 

Goldberg would end up winning the Universal Championship at Fastlane 2017 from Kevin Owens after Owens was distracted by Chris Jericho who he had turned on a couple of weeks prior. At WrestleMania, we would have the final showdown between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar and this time the Universal Championship is on the line. The match would go on to be one of if not the best sub-five-minute matches of all time as it was pretty much like a WWE video game where both guys are repeatedly hitting their finishers. After seven German suplexes and an F5 Lesnar would end up beating Goldberg and winning the Universal Title in what would be Goldberg’s first clean loss in his entire career. The night after WrestleMania 33 Goldberg would bid the fans farewell while also leaving the door open for a potential match later on down the road. Goldberg would be the headline inductee into the 2018 class of the WWE Hall of Fame.  Goldberg would return once again in 2019 where he would be working for blood money as he would face The Undertaker at Super Showdown in Saudi Arabia. This dream match would end up becoming a nightmare (which is a common theme on these Suadi Arabia shows) as before he came to the ring Goldberg stupidly headbutted his door to get hyped up for the match and in doing so gave himself a concussion and this would result in Goldberg locking on an awful looking leg bar, Goldberg getting busted open after hitting the ring post, and then Goldberg almost kills Undertaker as he drops him right on his head when he goes for the Jackhammer, and to close out the match Goldberg causes both he and Taker to fall when he goes for a Tombstone. This match was so bad that both men had to have matches in the following months to repair their reputation and show they weren’t the drizzling shits like the match in Saudi showed them to be. Goldberg’s last match of the decade would be when he faced Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam in a quick Goldberg style squash match where he came out the victor. 

The Rise and Fall of Straight Edge in the 2010s The 2010s were the decade where many of the independent wrestling stars of the mid-2000s got their time to shine in the WWE. The one person who is most deserving of the praise for paving the way for all the indy stars to get a shot in the WWE would be CM Punk and although he had already been in the WWE for four years prior to the beginning of the 2010s it wasn’t until 2011 when he really rose to prominence and became the talk of the wrestling world. On June 27, 2011 Punk cut a promo which would become known as “The Pipe Bomb” where he rips into Vince McMahon and how the WWE is run, he also mentions that the WWE will be just as bad after Vince dies since Triple H and Stephanie McMahon will be running things and they are no better. Punk then goes on to say that when he wins the title he will be taking it with him as his contract will be running out that same night.  This would lead to one of the most anticipated matches in WWE history as CM Punk would take on John Cena at Money in the Bank in front of a raucous crowd in Punk’s hometown of Chicago IL. After a fantastic match Punk would win the title and held up his promise as he took the title with him, this would lead to him showing up at different places with the title and everything was going great as fans were loving the story being told, however, this would soon change.  On the episode of Raw where WWE would crown a new champion, we saw the return of CM Punk which came only one week after Money in the Bank (this was disappointing as they really could’ve stretched out the story of Punk being gone) that would lead to a rematch at SummerSlam to crown the undisputed WWE Champion. Punk would win the title at SummerSlam, but after the match, Kevin Nash would come out and attack Punk which would lead to Alberto Del Rio cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and winning the title at the end of SummerSlam. All of that hype and attention that Punk had garnered over the past two months was for nothing as it all leads to Nash returning and feuding with Triple H and a mundane title reign for Alberto Del Rio.  The WWE would put the title back on Punk in November as a bit of a consolation prize for screwing up the whole “Summer of Punk” angle, however, despite Punk being the champion he was never the main focus for the WWE as John Cena still held that spot. The highlight for Punk’s title run would be his feud with Daniel Bryan in the summer of 2012 including a great match at Over the Limit. The feud between Punk and Bryan would also involve AJ Lee in what was one of the WWE’s most entertaining love triangles as all three had great chemistry with each other. Punk would hole the title until Royal Rumble 2013 when he lost it to The Rock. Punk’s title reign would become the 6th longest WWE Title reign of all time as it would last for 434 days.  The loss to The Rock would be the beginning of Punk’s frustrations with the company that would eventually lead to him walk out of the company in January 2014. Punk would explain the reasons as to why he left in an interview done by his former best friend Colt Cabana on his Art of Wrestling podcast. Punk said that the main reason he left was due to health issues and WWE’s lack of care of those issues as he had a potentially life-threatening lump on his back that the WWE doctors ignored, he also suffered from broken ribs, bad knees, and multiple concussions. Despite Punk walking out, he wasn’t officially fired from the company until June and of all days they chose his wedding day to deliver this news. Other reasons that Punk chose to leave stem from him not getting the main event match at WrestleMania and on top of that he got paid less than the other wrestlers in the top three matches at WrestleMania XXIX. Punk would state that he would never work with WWE again and had lost his passion for wrestling. 

After leaving WWE, Punk would dabble in acting and comic book writing, but the most memorable thing from his post WWE career would be his short tenure in the UFC where he lost both of his fights in devastating fashion. Despite saying he would never come back to WWE he has put a foot in the door to a potential return as he has joined a WWE centered panel show called WWE Backstage on Fox Sports 1 where he has a role of a special contributor and analyst. While Punk’s contract is with Fox and not with WWE, the fact that he is on a WWE centered show means that a potential return to a WWE ring isn’t completely out of the question, like it had been the past five years.  The Inspirational Story of the GOAT There have been many fan favorites in pro wrestling history, but very very few of them can connect with the fans like Daniel Bryan did in the 2010s. Bryan made his WWE debut in 2010 as part of the old TV show version of NXT where the rookies all had pros and each week someone would be eliminated and while Bryan didn’t win he was the clear fan favorite of the first season. Bryan’s pro during NXT was The Miz who was envious that his rookie was a better wrestler than he was, this would turn into a long-running feud that would be on and off throughout the decade. Bryan would make his Raw debut as apart of the Nexus stable that was comprised of the entire cast of the first season of NXT. As part of the debut, the Nexus would completely destroy the ringside area as well as everyone around it and during this Bryan would choke out ring announcer Justin Roberts with his tie, this action would lead to Bryan getting fired due to the choke being deemed too violent. Bryan would return a couple of months later as the mystery man to join Team WWE against The Nexus as SummerSlam. 

Bryan would float around the mid card throughout the rest of 2010 and into 2011 and even won the United States title along the way. Bryan would win the 2011 SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase which he would end up cashing in on The Big Show at TLC 2011 to win the World Heavyweight Championship despite saying earlier in the year that he was going to cash it in at WrestleMania XXVIII. The title win would turn Bryan into an arrogant heel who constantly found sneaky ways to retain his title against opponents much bigger than him like The Big Show and Mark Henry. During this run as World Heavyweight Champion Bryan would introduce the Yes Chant which would instantly get over with the fans and become a pivotal part of Bryan’s career. Bryan would lose the title to Sheamus at WrestleMania XXVIII in 8 seconds which didn’t sit well with the fans as by this time they had fallen in love with Bryan and to see him get this kind of treatment at WrestleMania felt very wrong, however, in retrospect it may have been the best thing to happen for Bryan as this was the real start of the Daniel Bryan underdog story that would culminate two years later.  In the fall of 2012, Bryan would form an unlikely team with Kane (at the time the two were feuding against each other and CM Punk in a love quadrangle over AJ Lee) after the two were ordered to go to anger management by AJ Lee who was the Raw General Manager at the time. The skits with Bryan and Kane in anger management were absolutely hilarious and was some of the best comedy that WWE had done in years. Not only were they great at playing off each other in these skits but they also had Dr. Shelby who was over the anger management meetings and was a great comedic addition to the story. Bryan and Kane would become known as Team Hell No and would be one of the most over acts WWE had. One of the most over moments involving Team Hell No didn’t even come during a match it came when they kept teasing they were going to hug it out like they had been taught by Dr. Shelby, but when one went in to hug the other would back away they would continue doing this for a few minutes and held the attention of the crowd the entire time, once they finally did hug they received a huge pop. The fact that just a simple hug got that kind of reaction just shows how over they were. Team Hell No would officially turn Bryan back to being a babyface, but in reality, he was still a babyface in the heart of the fans even when he was considered a heel. Team Hell No would team together until around mid-2013 when the Daniel Bryan underdog story really starts escalating. At SummerSlam 2013 Bryan would face off against John Cena and after one hell of a match Bryan would end up winning the WWE Championship, however, after the match Triple H who was the special referee turned on Bryan which lead to Randy Orton cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and winning the title. Over the next few months, Bryan would either keep getting screwed out of winning the title or he would win it and then the decision would be reversed the next night on Raw. By the end of the year Bryan didn’t just have a fanbase behind him he had a movement as you couldn’t find a wrestling fan that wasn’t pissed off about how he was being treated. There was no better example of this than on December 9, 2013 episode of Raw where they were having a big WWE & World Heavyweight Championship ceremony as the titles were going to be unified at TLC 2013 and you had a who’s who of former WWE & World Champions (Cena, Punk, Show, Hart, Henry, Michaels, Christian, Mysterio, etc) and the only one the fans were chanting for was Bryan and it wasn’t just a quick chant that faded after a minute it was quite lengthy and was holding up the show as you couldn’t hear whoever was talking. 

The frustration from the fans came to a head at the Royal Rumble as after giving Bray Wyatt the best singles match of his career, the fans were salivating for Bryan to enter the Royal Rumble match and win it, however, he wasn’t apart of the match and this led to poor Rey Mysterio being booed as the number 30 entrant as everyone wanted it to be Bryan. WWE decided that despite all the fans clearly being behind Bryan that the returning Batista was the best way to go and he was set to face Randy Orton at WrestleMania, but despite Batista returning after a four-year absence the fans didn’t give two shits about seeing that match. By this point, the fans were taking over shows with their chants for Bryan and eventually it finally worked and Bryan was worked into the main event angle, despite those in WWE saying they had him factored in that spot from the start which has been proven to be a load of BS when in 2020 Punk posted on Twitter a run sheet of what the matches were for WrestleMania XXX with 6 weeks until the show and it shows Bryan was scheduled to face Sheamus, this would be the third year (2011, 2012, & 2014) where Bryan was to wrestle Sheamus and I’m not sure why WWE was so obsessed with doing that match. It was eventually laid out where Bryan had to face Triple H in a match at WrestleMania and the winner of that would be added to the Orton vs Batista match, Bryan would win both matches with fantastic performances in both and would become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, which produced one of the loudest pops in WWE history and the sight of everyone in the Mercedes Benz Superdome doing the YES! Chant was something that gave you goosebumps and teary eyes to know that both Bryan and the fans hard work had paid off and he was finally living his dream. The moment of Bryan winning the title at WrestleMania was great, but unfortunately, that title reign would be cut short when a month after WrestleMania Bryan had to leave to have neck surgery and after some back and forth on whether he would be ready in time to defend the title he eventually had to relinquish it in June. Bryan still had not regained full strength in his arm months after the surgery and despite doctors wanting to do surgery once again and many saying he would never wrestle again Bryan underwent some Muscle Activation Techniques which regained the strength in the arm and in November 2014 we saw the return of the GOAT and by January he was back in the ring. Bryan would immediately become the fan-favorite once again and this time he was in the Royal Rumble, but was eliminated quite early in the match and once again fans didn’t give two shits about the winner which would be Roman Reigns and the heat this year was even worse than the year prior. Bryan would go on to become Intercontinental Champion after winning a ladder match at WrestleMania, which was ludacris that he was in a mid-card match after everything that happened last year and how him being over hadn’t changed at all, but by this point, WWE had moved on to trying to make Roman Reigns the next top star. Bryan wouldn’t get to enjoy his run as Intercontinental Champion for long as just like the previous year he would once again be sidelined with an injury. After a lot of rumors and some he said she said throughout the rest of 2015 Bryan would sadly announce his retirement in February 2016. The official reason for his retirement was that he had a lesion on the temporoparietal region of his brain which was caused by having many concussions, however, despite hearing this news, Bryan wasn’t ready to call it quits for good.  Bryan would go on a journey to find a way to get back into the ring as he went to many of the top medical professionals in the country and surprisingly he kept passing all these tests, but WWE’s doctor Joseph Maroon refused to clear him. Bryan would eventually ask for his release from WWE as he was going to try and seek work with another company such as ROH, New Japan, CMLL, etc but Vince refused to release Bryan. Bryan would do some work with WWE over the next couple of years as a commentator for the Cruiserweight Classic as well as being SmackDown General Manager, but while all this was happening Bryan hadn’t stopped his pursuit to get cleared as he still wanted to be in the ring doing what he loved. Bryan’s hard work, determination, and overall hard headedness finally paid off as after many evaluations Bryan would be cleared by independent neurosurgeons, neurologists, concussion experts, and most importantly WWE’s own Dr. Maroon and on March 20, it was announced that Bryan was cleared for in-ring action much to the delight of wrestling fans everywhere. Since his return in 2018 Bryan hasn’t slowed down at all. Bryan was finally able to get an extended run as WWE Champion as an eco-friendly obsessed heel character which he knocked out of the park. It’s hard to think of someone in wrestling that has had a more roller coaster ten year period than Bryan has had, but through the highs and the lows he always gave everything he had in him to entertain the fans and his passion for the wrestling business never deterred and that is why he is the GOAT.  The resurgence of the Lion and the magic Bullet that helped bring it back to life Going into the decade New Japan Pro Wrestling wasn’t anywhere close to being the dominant promotion in Japan like they had been in years prior or would become by the end of this decade as there wasn’t really any interest in the product and Hiroshi Tanahashi was pretty much the sole draw for the company and those around him weren’t setting the world on fire, even Shinsuke Nakamura who was the champion going into 2010 was far from being the Shinsuke Nakamura that we are familiar with today. It wouldn’t be until 2012 before the promotion finally started to climb back up the ladder of success, this escalation would begin when Kazuchika Okada made his return from excursion and right away started a decade long feud against Hiroshi Tanahashi. Okada and Tanahashi would trade the IWGP Championship back and forth and also headlined Wrestle Kingdom three times. In 2013 Gedo would become the head booker of NJPW and thanks to his booking NJPW would once again rise to become the dominant promotion that wrestlers wanted to work for in order to prove they were the very best and fans would go out of their way to watch as NJPW were once again putting out must-see matches.  Another major factor that helped put NJPW back in the spotlight was The Bullet Club, in fact, if Okada vs Tanahashi was the spark that lit the fire that helped NJPW shine so bright in the 2010s then Bullet Club was like pouring gasoline on that fire because there was no wrestling show you could go to whether it was in Japan or America where there wasn’t someone in the crowd wearing a Bullet Club shirt that’s how popular they would become. Not only did Bullet Club help New Japan, but in the long run the popularity of the stable and the members in it would end up changing the wrestling landscape in America in quite a monumental way.  The Bullet Club was formed in the spring of 2013 when Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) turned on his long time partner Ryusuke Taguchi and other NJPW babyfaces, he was helped in this attack by King Fale who would later be renamed Bad Luck Fale. A few weeks later the duo would be joined by both Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga in an attack on NJPW’s ace Hiroshi Tanahashi. These four men would be the founding members of Bullet Club which were an all gaijin (foreigner) stable that planned to wreak havoc on all the NJPW mainstays, the group would be compared to the NWO as they didn’t shy away from cheating in their matches or running in during matches causing disqualifications which were highly frowned upon by NJPW.  In October 2013 the Bullet Club would gain two very important members that would go on to be a pivotal part of the long term success of the faction, those two men would be The Young Bucks. At almost one year to the day of the formation of the Bullet Club, there would be a major shakeup as The Young Bucks would turn on Devitt during his blow-off match against Ryusuke Taguchi and the very next day Devitt would leave the promotion as he was on his way to WWE. With Devitt’s departure that left the Bullet Club without a leader, but this wouldn’t last long as AJ Styles (who debuted on the same show where Devitt was kicked out) became the new leader. Unlike Devitt, Styles was able to capture the IWGP Championship when he defeated Kazuchika Okada in May at the Wrestling Dontaku show when Yujiro Takahashi turned on Okada and joined the Bullet Club making him the faction’s sole non-gaijin member.  The Bullet Club was at the top of their game around this time and by the end of June, they would hold all four of the heavyweight titles, however, by October they would lose them all. In November they would gain their next big acquisition when Kenny Omega joined the Bullet Club and dominated the junior heavyweight division. Throughout 2015 the faction would continue to reign over the promotion and any time they would lose a title they would win it right back, this would include Styles becoming a 2x IWGP Champion when he beat Hiroshi Tanahashi in February at New Beginning in Osaka only to lose it once again just five months later to Kazuchika Okada at Dominion. At Wrestle Kingdom X Styles would be unsuccessful in trying to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura in a highly praised and critically acclaimed match. After the show it was announced that Styles would be leaving NJPW and just like Devitt before him he was headed to the WWE, Gallows and Anderson would be joining AJ eventually but they stuck around for a few more months. The night after Wrestle Kingdom Styles was kicked out of the club and Kenny Omega would step up as the new leader of The Bullet Club, this would also mark the end of Omega’s time in the Junior Heavyweight division as he was ready to go after the top prize in the promotion, but first, he would start with going after Nakamura’s Intercontinental Title. While Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks were in the Bullet Club they would create their own group within the Bullet Club called The Elite, the reason for this was to set themselves apart from the rest of the Bullet Club who they felt were nothing but a parody of older factions like the NWO and DX and also Omega felt that after Styles, Anderson, & Gallows left, the faction wasn’t the same anymore. Throughout 2016 the Bullet Club would add quite a few more members to its ranks including Adam Cole, Adam “Hangman” Page, & Cody. In August the Bullet Club would make history once again when Kenny Omega became the first gaijin to ever win the G1 Climax tournament which would lead to him facing Kazuchika Okada in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom XI in January 2017 which would end up being the first in a series of matches that were so good that Dave Meltzer had to break his five-star scale that he uses to rate matches as he gave their matches six stars and above. In May Adam Cole was kicked out of the group and replaced with Marty Scurll.  There would be a civil war within the Bullet Club with Cody and Kenny Omega competing to be the leader of the faction while the rest of the faction was left to choose a side, however, the Bucks were stuck in the middle as they were best friends with both Cody and Omega. The night after Wrestle Kingdom at the New Years Dash show Omega would run to save Kota Ibushi from a beating from the Bullet Club as he and Ibushi had ties back to when they both worked for the DDT promotion. Over the next few months, the Bullet Club members would face each other in matches while the Guerillas of Destiny and Bad Luck Fale decided to stay out of all the drama and keep to themselves. Cody and Omega would face each other in April at the ROH event Supercard of Honor XII which Cody won due to the Bucks accidentally costing Omega the match. Omega would finally defeat Kazuchika Okada to win the IWGP Championship in a ⅔ falls match at Dominion in June, after the match, the Young Bucks would solidify their allegiance with Omega and those three along with Ibushi would form a group called The Golden Elite. 

Omega would retain his title in a match against Cody at the G1 Special a month later. After the match The Guerillas of Destiny & Haku turned on The Elite and then would turn on other members of the Bullet Club when they came to the rescue, finally Cody came down and the Tongans gave him an open shot but instead Cody went after the Tongans which led to him getting laid out as well and with that the feud between Omega and Cody came to an end. The Tongans would declare themselves the real Bullet Club and over the next few months, Taiji Ishimori would join the club as would Gedo & Jado which was a total shock at they turned on their Chaos leader Kazuchika Okada after Gedo had been Okada’s, right-hand man. By the end of 2018 Cody, Omega, The Young Bucks, Marty Scurll, & Hangman Page removed themselves from the Bullet Club and were solely going by the brand name of The Elite.  The Elite would part ways from New Japan Pro Wrestling after Wrestle Kingdom 13 as they had much bigger things they needed to put their full attention into. With both Omega and Cody gone from the company, the Bullet Club would need a new leader. In December 2018 Tama Tonga would reveal that Jay White was the new leader of the Bullet Club and after a win over Okada at Wrestle Kingdom he would go on to win the IWGP Championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi at the New Beginning in Osaka show. While the Bullet Club continues to be a force in New Japan it seems like the hype and the popularity of the stable has died down quite a bit since the departures of The Elite members. One reason for the decline in popularity of the Bullet Club could be the fact that the stable had hit its peak and was starting to overstay their welcome, another reason could be due to the increase in popularity of Tetsuya Naito’s group Los Ingobernables de Japon, the third reason could just be the fact that the fans don’t invest in Jay White as the leader of the group like they did Devitt, Styles, & Omega. 

I don’t think it’s out of the question to say that the Bullet Club belongs on the list of top wrestling factions of all time with the likes of the Four Horsemen, the NWO, the Dangerous Alliance, & DX. The popularity of the Bullet Club was without a doubt a huge factor when it came to NJPW finally getting back on their feet as they were the perfect gaijin foils for the NJPW mainstays to feud against as they were the complete opposite of everything NJPW stood for as they didn’t shy away from cheating to pick up a win, yet at the same time they could tear down the house and put on fantastic matches with the likes of Okada, Tanahashi, Naito, etc when they needed to and that was how they finally started gaining the respect of the NJPW fans and gained immense popularity. If it were not for the Bullet Club (or The Elite to be more specific) the New Japan expansion into America probably wouldn’t have gone as smoothly as it certainly helped to have names that the American fans who didn’t watch New Japan were familiar with. 

While they are often compared to the NWO I think it’s safe to say that the Bullet Club has done more for the entire wrestling business than the NWO ever did as many former members of the Bullet Club have gone on to do even bigger things with the most notable being the guys in The Elite starting their own promotion, but I will talk more about that in Part 2. It’s also highly unlikely that guys like AJ Styles, Finn Balor, & Adam Cole would’ve been featured as highly as they have been in WWE had they not reached the level of popularity they did in the Bullet Club, in fact, WWE doesn’t shy away from mentioning their time in Japan and have even tried to capitalize on the Bullet Club fandom by putting AJ with Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows and calling them The Club (later changed to The OC) as well as renaming marketing Balor’s fanbase as “The Balor Club”, but neither attempt at capitalizing on these men’s past successes have caught on or have been as fruitful as they had hoped because everyone sees it as forced and nobody will ever be able to recreate the lightning in the bottle that was the Bullet Club when the stable was in its prime.  This concludes Part 1 of my look back at the 2010s but be on the lookout for Part 2 where I will be covering more of the biggest news stories in the world of wrestling. 

[swipestream]

New Release Roundup, 19 January 2019: Fantasy and Adventure

This week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy and adventure features a raygun past that should have been, a privateer out to rescue his fiancee, monstergirl madness, and the escape of a rogue superhero.

Accidental Assassin (Sellswords #2) – T. L. Branson

A light shines in the darkness.

The earnings from their last heist have dried up. Now, Ocken and Riley are once again in need of a job.

Ocken doesn’t dare work for the mysterious Viper again, but Riley wants to use the stranger to take down the crime lord, Edward Ziken. Except Viper is nowhere to be found.

But Viper isn’t the only one looking for hired hands. Soon, Ocken and Riley find themselves as pawns in yet another plot for power.

The job seems simple enough, but there’s more at stake than they could possibly know.

Bert Henderson Double Adventure – Spencer Hart

DEATH RAYS & DAMES are all in a day’s work for company troubleshooter Bert Henderson.

Bert’s boss runs Phillips’ Atomics, builder of atomic-powered planes, spaceships, and industrial tools. These high-tech inventions are revolutionizing the world of 1949. So when Mr. Phillips’ interests are threatened, Bert can find himself traveling anywhere on Earth – or beyond.

Criminals and foreign agents are in for more than they bargained for, when Henderson is on the case.

And if there’s a gorgeous dame involved along the way, that can bring its own sort of trouble…”

Contains Bert Henderson’s first and second adventures:

DEATH ON THE MOON: The first ever murder on the Moon brings Bert to Roosevelt Base to find the killer. Mr. Phillips is financing an observatory on the Moon, and construction is halted while the murderer is loose. Can Bert find the killer and prevent more death on the Moon?

FIRE IN THE ANDES: One of Mr. Phillips top engineers has gone missing in Argentina, and Bert is sent to find him. But the investigation leads to the discovery of a greater threat. Complications ensue from encountering a lovely senorita. Can Bert deal with both the case and the dame?

Breaker (Monster Tamer #1) – Isaac Hooke

Three women. 

One man. 

A whole lot of monsters.

Malem is a Breaker. He breaks the minds of beasts, exerting the steel vise of his will over their own, bending them to his wishes.

His ability is severely limited in terms of the types of creatures he can control, and how many. Most monsters have always been beyond him.

And then one day he accidentally breaks a monster girl. Doors begin to open for him faster than he thought possible…

Also available: Conqueror

Heroes Fall (Heroes Unleashed: Serenity City #1) – Morgon Newquist

He wanted to be a good man. Instead he became a hero.

Twenty years ago, Serenity City’s great Triumvirate of heroes – Achilles, the Banshee, and Pendragon – maintained a golden age of peace and prosperity. Then, in an instant, it all went wrong. The city’s mightiest champion, Achilles, lost his mind during a showdown with the enigmatic supervillain Thanatos and went on a rampage across the city, leaving the Banshee dead and a swath of destruction in his wake before Pendragon could stop him.

Today, as Achilles rots in solitary confinement, Victoria Westerdale investigates a new mystery. Why are young and forgotten heroes disappearing off the streets? Why doesn’t anybody else care? And how is it tied in to those infamous events that brought the city’s greatest heroes to ruin?

And what’s going to happen to them all after Achilles escapes?

Infinite Dendrogram #8 – Sakon Kaidou

In the year 2043, Infinite Dendrogram, the world’s first successful full-dive VRMMO was released. In addition to its ability to perfectly simulate the five senses, along with its many other amazing features, the game promised to offer players a world full of infinite possibilities

Having maxed out his Paladin rank, Ray considers what job to take and level next. As he does so, he hears of a job that was newly excavated alongside an ancient ruin in Altar’s Quartierlatin County — an area bordering the Dryfe Imperium.

As it happens, Ray already meets the conditions for the job, and it suits him well, so he wastes no time going out to make the switch. But of course things are never quite so simple…

Along the way, he encounters Azurite — a mysterious masked swordswoman. There was simply no way Ray could’ve known the far-reaching political implications of his venture to the ruins…

The Starry Sky Chessboard (Starchild Escapes Arranged Marriage #6) – Fat Bread

The vast sky contains thousands of God’s domains.

Yun Xi was born in the Sword Domain, more specifically, the White Lotus Sword Domain. He has a female childhood friend who tends to become jealous very easily, while running an ordinary bakery for a living. At the age of eighteen, he was to marry his arranged bride, with the wish of living his days normally and peacefully.

But on his sixteenth birthday, the shined down on him with three different choices for him to make. These three choices came in the form of three fairies which suddenly appeared in front of him. The boy then learned a terrible truth, that his life was at stake. A bad ending, which was supposed to happen to him, was coming soon.

In order to survive, the youth had to set foot on the battlefields of many deaths trails, all while learning how to love as well as struggling to become stronger.

The Steel Hounds (The Artar Chronicles #1) – Vladimir Vasilenko

Stan, also known as Mongoose, is an extreme traceur and a freerunner, whose real-life talents attracted the attention of The Steel Hounds, the most notorious and private clan of the virtual world of Artar, famous for serving the grey cardinal. While the political landscape for this new world is yet to form, intrigues, conspiracy, daring raids, and sabotage are the main weapons of the Hounds, and his evaluation has just begun.

To complete it successfully and become a full-fledged member of the clan, Stan will have to adapt to working side-by-side with the most unique people with shady backgrounds — even if he is not a team player by nature and has already failed at the very beginning by choosing the least suitable class for teamwork: Battle Monk.

Stan is rebellious, free-spirited, and daring. He risks his life every day just to avoid getting bored of the daily grind. Normally, an expelled student has no hope of entering the virtual world of Artar, an expensive online VR project, but when a suspicious organization offers to pay all expenses to let Stan in for a special purpose, Mongoose gets his chance to become one of the select few. However, to successfully complete his trial, Stan will have to face his main enemy — himself, while finding peace and mastering all five styles of the Battle Monks of Artar.

Voyage of the Lanternfish – C. S. Boyack

An honorable man is mistaken for his disreputable father. Now he’s pushed into a political scheme to start a war that will spread across multiple kingdoms. James Cuttler’s fiancé is being held captive to ensure he goes through with the plan.

He soon decides his skills are at sea and procures a ship to wage war upon those who disrupted his simple life. He can’t do it alone, so he recruits a band of cutthroats to help him. But first, they need guns and munitions to outfit the ship properly. Deception and trickery will only get them so far. Eventually, they’re going to have to engage the enemy.

James’ goals aren’t necessarily the same as his crew. It’s a delicate balancing act to collect enough loot to keep his crew happy, while guiding them back to rescue the girl.

Warhammer Chronicles: Warriors of the Chaos Wastes – C. L. Werner

Many horrors stalk the blasted wastes at the top of the world. Mortals and daemons alike wage war – and in this volume are three tales of such monstrous, god-touched warriors.

The Chaos Wastes are an unspeakable region of magic and madness. In this hellish tundra, the Dark Gods wrestle for supremacy and champions war in their name. Death comes for any who traverse these plains in swift and savage form. Yet there are those who dare brave the wastelands, burdened by their own dark purposes. Wulfrik the Wanderer, cursed by the Ruinous Powers, seeks a prize to appease the forces of Chaos; the Skulltaker, champion of Khorne, hungers for fresh blood; and the last warrior of a Norse tribe sets out to steal the treasure of a god. But in this monstrous arena, there are no winners. Dark forces plot, daemons feed, and even the landscape itself takes sides. This omnibus contains three novels by one of Black Library’s popular authors.

READ IT BECAUSE: These three classic novels exploring the nature of Chaos are from the master of dark fantasy, C L Werner – if you’ve not experienced them, you owe it to yourself.

Will of Fire (Buried Goddess Saga #3) – Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

A Kingdom held hostage. A thief lost in time. The battle to seal Elsewhere has begun.

The villainous Drad Redstar has won the favor of king and country after leading a decisive victory over the rebels at Winde Port. Now with a seat on the royal council, he condemns Torsten to a lifetime in the dungeon and invites his militant people to take up residence in the capital. But not all light has been squelched. There is one disgraced King’s Shieldsman left who remains loyal to Torsten, and only he can help free the Glass Kingdom from Redstar and his dark desires to revive the Buried Goddess.

Across the known world, Sora deals with the loss of her one and only friend. She seeks out a Mystic of the Panping; someone who can help her figure out what really happened to Whitney in a journey that illuminates her past and present. With the true nature of magic revealed to her, she finds that Whitney is lost in Elsewhere, the world between worlds, and she’ll stop at nothing to bring him back.

As magic and war collide in Will of Fire, the third installment in the Buried Goddess Saga, the fate of the entire world will change.

New Release Roundup, 19 January 2019: Fantasy and Adventure published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames