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katytheinspiredworkaholic · 4 years ago

Text

Correspondence, Chapter 03

Pairing: HotchReid

Summary: An AU where Reid never joined the FBI, but got roped into consulting for the LA field office while working and teaching at Caltech. Hotch gets his email referred from a fellow agent, and they start to work on cases together -- until they start talking on a regular basis. Regular becomes frequent, frequent becomes constant. They know nothing about each other, but they don't really mind.

Rating: Mature/Explicit (eventually)

Chapter CW/notes: Mentions of alcohol, a very long conversation happens where Hotch is a little buzzed. Big, BIG focus on their age difference, and unintentional misinformation. Spencer has no idea Hotch thinks he’s older, or at least not OLD older, and gets a little panicky/clams up -- and yes I realize Hotch could just background check him and find it out but he respects the man enough to not do that. The chapter is linear, it just encompasses a lot of time passing so hopefully that’s not too confusing. Set in season 6, self beta’d.

Word Count: 5025

Masterpost Link

Ao3 Link

Chapter 03

Early September 2010

And so, it begins.

The dynamic shift, the vast change in how Hotch and Dr. Reid had been corresponding for the past few months. Evolving from something so professional and academic to something… looser. More freeing. More room for error, of course, but the risk turns out to be more than worth it for what they gain.

The texts are sporadic, at first. Short interactions, here and there, all stemming from that first, longer conversation about Jack. Hotch follows up the very next day, after he gets to talk to his son in the morning over pancakes. Jessica hovering nearby the whole time. She had apologized for her harsh words, and commended him after the fact how he’d approached Jack on the subject and led the little boy into a conversation rather than a lecture like his teachers had done. Because, as Spencer had mentioned -- there was no need for one. Jack already had the situation handled.

[]6/4, 12:39[] You were right.

[]6/4, 12:39[] He invited the kid that was bullying him over for a playdate. Trying to win him over by killing him with kindness.

[]6/4, 12:43[] My kind of kid.

[]6/4, 12:44[] You’ve taught him well, Hotch.

And that was it. That was all it took to kick off what turns into a frequent occurrence. Slowly, as time passes, their quick texts turn to conversations that naturally revert to work. It’s where they spend most of their time, after all, and what they had bonded over in the first place. But unlike in their emails, it isn’t just about the cases or profiles or statistics required to crack them. It’s much more opinionated than that, erratic in it’s content and frequency. Commentary on Hotch’s team, ideas on the cases they work, case studies and research projects and sometimes even just office gossip that somehow always makes its way to Hotch’s attention despite everyone trying to keep it from doing so.

Or just Dr. Reid observing their antics. This is the beginning of the tonal shift, and Hotch can’t help but think… it just might be a welcome one.

[]6/12, 10:03[] Your tech analyst always sends me rainbow font emails.

[]6/12, 10:07[] Yes, she’s doing that with everyone on the team. It’s Pride month and she’s being supportive.

[]6/12, 10:11[] She considers me a part of the team? How sweet of her.

[]6/12, 10:12[] You are, and as far as the bureau goes you might as well be.

[]6/12, 10:13[] I doubt I could sneak you into payroll, though.

[]6/12, 10:21[] I bet Ms. Garcia could.

[]6/12, 10:28[] Don’t. Say. Anything.

[]6/12, 10:29[] But yes, she could.

It turns into a small reprieve, for Hotch, in the constant deluge of bureaucracy and violence that fills his work day. The single moment he allows a sliver of himself to appear through the cracks of his armor he has to wear to guard himself from it all. To be the stoic leader the team needs, the unmovable tree in the storm.

Only in his quick, typed under the table conversations he has with Spencer does he allow himself the slips of humor. Barely there traces of a smile. Finding the smallest spots of light in his dark days, in his work that can surround and consume to the point of suffocation. Hotch thrives in it, he always has -- while others have drowned. But he doesn’t mind finding this small self-indulgence. Making the decision for himself that he can joke and poke fun at his work and not feel guilty about it. That, for once, he can allow himself this.

Until one day, Spencer returns the favor -- and starts talking about his own work.

[]7/21, 16:17[] If I leave all of my Ph.D. applicants in a ditch in the desert, is that still murder?

[]7/21, 16:30[] Technically or hypothetically?

[]7/21, 16:34[] Different question, would you be my legal council if I snap and it happens anyway?

[]7/21, 16:37[] Of course.

[]7/21, 16:38[] But as your attorney, I have to advise you that we never had this conversation, and murder is wrong.

[]7/21, 16:40[] Hypothetically.

Spencer takes a little longer to open up, but when he does it is through this window into an academic world Hotch had never planned or thought he would ever be privy to. He begins to reveal pieces of it, bit by bit, until Hotch starts to form a picture in his mind of what shape this professor’s life really takes. Making deductions based on his speech patterns, what goes on throughout his day, his word choices, and profiling the man through text message without even meaning to.

He tries to put a stop to it as soon as he realizes this. Dr. Reid isn’t just a consultant anymore, he is his friend -- and Hotch will always do his utmost to not profile his friends. But it’s a little too late for some aspects that can’t help but stand out as time goes on. Such as the inkling that the other man probably isn’t senile with a cane and a stooped back, like Hotch had first thought. Certain parts of his day allude to someone who is a bit fresher to the academic scene -- instead of spending decades on a college campus.

But Hotch sets that aside, to be scrutinized at a later date, and instead turns his focus into enjoying what Spencer has to offer him. As his friend. The stories he shares freely, now that they’ve spent all this time breaking down the barriers. He regales Hotch with his own daily problems, grievances, as well as the little bright spots that he just wants to share with Hotch so that it can lighten up his own days. Which were much more bleak, and crowded with danger and horrid things.

Hotch lives for those messages.

[]7/28, 20:42[] So I have a godson.

[]7/28, 20:44[] He’s four, and he just came to visit last week with his mother. Have you and Jack ever done science experiments at home?

[]7/28, 20:46[] Because I have some that are definite crowd pleasers. Do them right, you can call them ‘physics magic’. I can send you the instructions, it’s well worth it.

[]7/28, 20:47[] I’m not sure how helpful I would be in a scientific area, but I’m always willing to try.

[]7/28, 20:49[] I’d require video evidence of it, then.

[]7/28, 20:50[] But they are so fun, I’d forgotten how much.

[]7/28, 20:51[] No children of your own?

[]7/28, 20:54[] Never found the right person, but I always spent so much time on my degrees that I hadn’t really thought about being a parent.

[]7/28, 20:55[] My Godson really brought it to light, though. I love having him here.

[]7/28, 20:56[] I bet he loves when you come around, or when they get to visit you, too.

[]7/28, 20:59[] I work in a science lab, with lasers and telescopes bigger than my first apartment. My approval rating is pretty high when it comes to my godson.

Although Hotch finds that he doesn’t always start these interactions, the ones that lead to topics outside of work, he also isn’t against them in the slightest. They begin to start messaging at all hours, because of this; first thing in the morning, during their lunch break, whenever something pops up -- what used to be jokes that would just be kept to themselves, turn to conversation starters. And that development shifts the dynamic even more.

[]8/11, 10:31[] Coffee shops always make me feel old, and like I’m a grad student all over again.

[]8/11, 10:38[] You don’t have a T.A. to run and get you coffee?

[]8/11, 10:41[] Of course you would send out for coffee.

[]8/11, 10:42[] Well my order is two steps, not sixteen.

[]8/11, 10:43[] Tyrant.

[]8/11, 10:43[] Pretentious.

They start to tease, banter, and poke fun at each other. Comradery, friendship, and the more it goes on the more it seems to spiral towards something else. Something new.

But it’s these small moments, messages, conversations that can last a minute or an hour, that make Hotch’s chest feel so much lighter as the weeks go by. Hints of a smile easing onto his face, smoothing out and softening the edges in a way they haven’t in a long time. Garnering some attention from the rest of the team, or whoever is in the vicinity that felt brave enough to mention it.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Who’s the lucky lady?”

“No one,” Hotch would answer, schooling himself and pocketing his phone. “Just a consultant on a case.”

This is how it goes… for months.

They never speak on the phone. Never even hint at video calls. Never send pictures. (Although Spencer does make a mention once or twice about that promised video when Hotch finally gets around to attempting the ‘physics magic’ experiment he’d emailed him. Hotch secretly hopes that maybe, one day, Spencer will just get to show them in person. Instead of Hotch having to record it for anyone to witness.)

But they talk like clockwork. Play chess on the regular, allowing them to talk more fluently with a laptop to aid the flow of conversation. It starts with once a week, then twice a week, standing dates after hours that meld so seamlessly with their messages every workday. They keep it to the weekdays, at first, since Hotch is busy with Jack on the weekends. But that doesn’t last long. Suddenly, without warning -- it becomes every night as well. That shift is such an organic, natural progression, that it slips in without either of them making comment on it. A silent agreement, because mentioning it would mean admitting why they were pushing this in such a new direction.

They just… missed talking to each other. Two days was too long.

Now, it’s every day.

They text for hours; check in on each other at random throughout the day even when Hotch is on cases or Spencer is busy with his duties as the leading doctoral expert of Caltech. Times when they should be swamped, unavailable to anything other than their primary focus and work load, still littered with short messages. Before and after each flight, when Hotch gets back to his hotel at night, when Spencer has to lecture out of town and they just so happen to be passing each other during travel -- mere states away. So close, yet so far. It’s all the time, it’s constant, and it’s wonderful.

Spencer still helps with cases. Often, even more often than he ever helped the L.A. field office. But it’s not always through email, anymore. Sometimes it’s just easier for Hotch to shoot him a quick text. A detailed message in the middle of their everyday banter and dribble but no less out of place, knowing the good Doctor will answer him quickly. Time is of the essence when they are on a case, but they are always on retainer for each other. Waiting in the wings, ready to jump in with quick, snappy wit and bitten-back smiles, and Hotch feels so good. So light. Better than he has in years.

Happy.

Hotch is happy, finding a friend in Dr. Spencer Reid, even if sometimes that friendship seems to transcend layers he didn’t know were there. Developing into something else, something he hadn’t touched in a long, long time.

Months pass. Months. Like a blur. Like they’ve only just started this thing that’s anticipatory and comfortable and flexible in its medium and that is so easy -- everything Hotch needs in his life -- that he can barely imagine what his days and nights were like before this. Before Spencer.

But it’s months into this correspondence, this charged and bright thing, that he’s home late one night with a Scotch in one hand and a losing game of online chess long forgotten on his laptop screen. Lost in messaging Spencer, back to his phone instead of the chat feature of the chess game. Because texting is their comfort zone, now. He never thought it would be, had seen teenagers and adults attached to their phones like a lifeline and used to scoff about it, but he finally has begun to understand.

Because here he is -- not even looking up when he takes a drink -- lost in his conversation with Spencer. Making each other laugh, in a way he hasn’t in so long. Loud and high and afraid he might wake Jack down the hall so he stifles it with another sip of his Scotch.

[]9/8, 21:12[] If Jack wakes up, you know that’s it for us. He’ll never go back to sleep.

[]9/8, 21:13[] Then stop laughing so loud. I honestly can’t imagine you laughing enough to wake him.

[]9/8, 21:14[] Usually I don’t. I never laugh like this, but I used to.

[]9/8, 21:16[] Mr. FBI isn’t allowed to laugh, I thought. Didn’t they beat that out of you at the academy?

[]9/8, 21:19[] I was able to retain a smidgen of humor, it’s well hidden. You just seem to bring it out more than others.

[]9/8, 21:20[] I’m flattered.

[]9/8, 21:20[] You should be.

[]9/8, 21:21[] If my team saw me crack a smile I’d probably be forced to get a CAT scan.

[]9/8, 21:23[] Do you need one? I have an M.A. in Cognitive Sciences, I’ll be your second opinion.

[]9/8, 21:24[] Probably, but I’ll live.

[]9/8, 21:25[] Very stiff upper lip of you. They teach you that at the academy, too?

[]9/8, 21:26[] No, that would be Scotland Yard. I liaised there for a while.

[]9/8, 21:28[] Wow, you get around. Have you been anywhere else on your global exploration?

[]9/8, 21:31[] Hardly that, I just go where the bureau tells me. I’ve already been bounced all over the country before landing at the BAU. All you can do is keep the ‘stiff upper lip’ and adapt.

[]9/8, 21:31[] “Keep Calm & Carry On”?

[]9/8, 21:33[] Garcia gave me that on a mug last Christmas. I still don’t know what it’s from.

[]9/8, 21:34[] Your age is showing. Get with the times, old man.

[]9/8, 21:35[] You’re one to talk.

[]9/8, 21:35[] What?

Hotch bites back a smile, thinking about how for months he had been so sure Spencer was this elderly professor in his 60’s or 70’s that just happened to find their conversations interesting. That was… very apparently wrong, Hotch can see that now, but he hadn’t had any evidence to the contrary for the entire time they corresponded those first few months.

He could have done a background check on the professor at any time, is sure Garcia already has one saved in a file ready to send him at his first request, but it’s more fun this way. The not knowing, the learning about each other piece by careful piece. Even the smallest bits of information, such as age.

He bet Spencer would get a kick out of his first impression of the man, though.

[]9/8, 21:37[] Oh come on, you know.

[]9/8, 21:39[] No, I actually don’t. Congratulations, you’ve stumped the super genius.

[]9/8, 21:39[] But really, what do you mean?

[]9/8, 21:42[] I always just assumed you are at least ten years my senior, maybe even fifteen. How are you more with the times than I am?

[]9/8, 21:43[] I work at a University. I am surrounded by hormones and the dribble of youth.

There’s a slightly lengthy pause after that exchange, enough Hotch starts to pay closer attention through the buzz of liquor settled over his skin pleasantly.

[]9/8, 21:49[] How old do you think I am?

[]9/8, 21:50[] I don’t know, is it rude if I answer?

Hotch is not laughing to himself, he promises.

[]9/8, 21:52[] Why do you think I’m older?

[]9/8, 21:53[] This feels like a trap.

[]9/8, 21:53[] It’s not.

[]9/8, 21:56[] Well, honestly just from your academic achievements. Not everyone has that kind of time. And all your departments you run, you have to have a pretty level head and knack for maturity to keep that all in order. Especially doctorate students.

[]9/8, 21:58[] Thank you, I think.

[]9/8, 22:00[] I bet you’re the coolest old man on campus, though, don’t get me wrong.

Hotch does outright laugh after he sends that, manages to keep it a little bit quieter, and commends himself on having the upperhand in the conversation for once as he stares at his phone for a few minutes, awaiting an answer.

If he had to guess, Hotch supposes he’s held on to that stubborn image of Spencer being a stooped old professor out of habit. But the more the two have talked, after he'd gotten to know the man and his written verbal expressions and just the way his life runs day to day, it’s pretty easy to see that that is not correct. Spencer could be someone around Dave or Jason’s age, but more likely even younger than that -- closer to his own.

And that… is an intriguing thought that sparks something in his chest. He smothers it with another sip of Scotch and realizes that it has been a solid five minutes of silence. With Spencer not even typing out a response.

[]9/8, 22:06[] Was it something I said?

[]9/8, 22:07[] No, I’m just… contemplating my answer.

[]9/8, 22:07[] Answer to what?

Hotch hasn’t drank that much, but he doesn’t believe he asked a question at all. He scrolls back through their conversation and doesn’t see one. Spencer has asked a good handful, though, all about Hotch’s perception of his age.

Interesting.

[]9/8, 22:09[] Respond, not answer.

[]9/8, 22:10[] I’m all turned around now.

[]9/8, 22:12[] Flustered in your old age? Now I’m flattered.

This is almost like flirting. Skirts the edges of it, and Hotch feels more emboldened to try the more Spencer tap-dances around what is obviously Hotch’s incorrect assumption of his age. He had had no idea Hotch thought he was older, that is apparent, and it’s throwing the other man for a loop for some reason Hotch can’t ascertain.

[]9/8, 22:15[] I’m not old.

[]9/8, 22:15[] I’m not even older than you.

[]9/8, 22:16[] And how do you know that?

[]9/8, 22:17[] Just trust me on this.

[]9/8, 22:17[] Well, how old are you?

Another long, lengthy pause that Hotch waits for with baited breath. He knows that Spencer is there, that he’s staring at his phone and trying to decide the best way to answer without really answering anything. It’s only a matter of minutes, but that is a long time for them. When they are deep in a conversation like this.

Hotch isn’t laughing to himself anymore, but he’s more pleasantly confused than worried. He really has no idea what is making Spencer so hesitant.

[]9/8, 22:22[] Spencer?

[]9/8, 22:25[] I’m not going to tell you.

[]9/8, 22:26[] What, you want me to guess?

[]9/8, 22:28[] You’ll never guess.

[]9/8, 22:29[] That sounds like a challenge. How many guesses do I have?

[]9/8, 22:31[] None. Listen, I don’t want you to know. I shouldn’t have said anything.

[]9/8, 22:33[] I’m afraid it’s going to change your perception of me, and we’ll stop talking like this.

[]9/8, 22:34[] Just keep imagining me with wrinkles and a cane, I’m okay with that.

That drops the small smile right off his face.

Hotch is… surprised by this turn of events. What could be so shocking about this that Spencer thinks they would stop talking to each other? They’re corresponding every night. How could he possibly stop on a dime like that?

It doesn’t make any sense. And that’s not the alcohol talking.

[]9/8, 22:37[] I honestly don’t see how that would be possible.

[]9/8, 22:39[] I’m not going to stop talking to you just because you aren’t the senior professor I imagined running Caltech with an Iron Fist.

[]9/8, 22:40[] Now you’re projecting.

[]9/8, 22:40[] You saying I’m too strict?

[]9/8, 22:41[] Tyrant, I think was the term I chose.

[]9/8, 22:42[] Pretentious.

[]9/8, 22:44[] But Spencer, unless you are somehow underage with five Ph.D.’s, there’s no reason for us to stop talking.

[]9/8, 22:47[] You would not believe how many people treat me like I'm underage, to this day. So that doesn’t inspire confidence.

Hotch pauses with his glass halfway back to his lips, only a few sips left in the glass. Staring at his phone and struggling to make sense of what Spencer is saying. Hotch had been trying to joke and tease with him, but now the word ‘underage’ feels like a glaring beacon of a word on his screen.

He’s very suddenly more than a little nervous, even through the haze of alcohol. He is 45 years old, no matter what he keeps telling Spencer -- there is a limit to this being appropriate or not. What that limit is, he’d have to consider when he’s more sober, and it makes him feel like he should be reigning in the flirtatious notes that keep worming their way into the conversation.

But it’s not actually possible for him to be that young, and everything he’s learned about the man indicates he’s closer to his own age. Was he in his 30’s? Even that felt too young for what Hotch had (subconsciously) profiled -- no, it has to be something else.

No matter what, he didn’t want to keep getting Spencer worked up like this about it. His age hadn’t bothered Hotch before that night, so maybe if he drops it they can revert back to how they’d been spending their late evening hours before this turn in the conversation.

[]9/8, 22:50[] But I’m NOT underage.

[]9/8, 22:51[] If that needed to be said.

[]9/8, 22:53[] Can you buy alcohol by yourself?

[]9/8, 22:54[] Yes.

[]9/8, 22:54[] See this is what I was afraid of.

[]9/8, 22:55[] Relax, I was trying to tease you.

[]9/8, 22:57[] You don’t have to tell me, Spencer. I’ll just keep picturing Sean Connery, or John Steinbeck in the later years.

[]9/8, 22:59[] I see you have a type.

[]9/8, 23:00[] Well, who do you picture when you think of me?

[]9/8, 23:01[] Hugo Weaving, Matrix era. Or Richard Feynman.

[]9/8, 23:02[] Well now I feel typecasted. Who’s Feynman?

[]9/8, 23:02[] An American Theoretical Physicist from the 40’s-60’s.

[]9/8, 23:03[] Ouch. How old do you think *I* am?

[]9/8, 23:04[] I’m afraid to answer that.

[]9/8, 23:04[] O.u.c.h.

[]9/8, 23:06[] You’ve been borderline flirting with me, and you just said you thought I was in my 60’s! What was I supposed to think?

[]9/8, 23:07[] If you’re looking in that age bracket, I’m sure I can get you the Biology Department Head’s number.

[]9/8, 23:07[] He’s 72 with rheumatoid arthritis.

[]9/8, 23:08[] You are hysterical. So funny.

Hotch is smiling wide down at his phone again, feeling lighter and glad he got them back on track.

But…

He can��t help but think back to what he just tried to drop entirely. Blame the Scotch, or whatever drive to know that makes him dig down and root out information in cold cases in his spare time, Hotch doesn’t think he can let it go. Not when it was something Spencer hadn’t meant to be a secret in the first place. Not when, knowing that it has created misinformation between them unintentionally, results in Spencer shying away and hesitant to tell Hotch anything more about himself.

Not when he’d said ‘flirting’, because that had been what Hotch was doing, and he can’t even describe how disappointing it would be to quit while he was ahead. When the build up has been so gradual and easy and everything he’d been looking for and could never seem to find.

Now, this slight disruption is sticking in his mind, sharp like a thorn in his side. Always there, making itself known, and he wonders if he is lucid enough to try and draw the information out of Spencer via interview tactics -- or if the brilliant man would see right through any of his attempts.

Probably. Who was he kidding? Spencer had more degrees and college hours under his belt than Hotch could manage in a lifetime. Best to do this the old fashioned way, then.

[]9/8, 23:10[] 38.

[]9/8, 23:11[] Oh. Really? That’s kind of young to be Unit Chief, congratulations.

[]9/8, 23:11[] No, not me. You. I’m guessing 38.

[]9/8, 23:12[] Oh.

[]9/8, 23:12[] Incorrect.

[]9/8, 23:13[] I don’t even get a hint?

[]9/8, 23:13[] Nope.

[]9/8, 23:15[] We’re not playing a game. I’m not telling you.

[]9/8, 23:15[] So you won’t guess my age, either?

[]9/18, 23:17[] Chicken.

[]9/8, 23:17[] 45.

Hotch near throws his phone across the room. Almost makes a quip about how reading his file is cheating -- but he knows Spencer just made a stupidly accurate ‘educated guess’ because he knows fucking everything.

They really should just put him on the payroll. Hotch is being selfish keeping the man all to himself.

But God, is he enjoying it, too.

[]9/8, 23:19[] There’s no way you profiled that with that kind of accuracy.

[]9/8, 23:20[] How do you do that?

[]9/8, 23:21[] Black magic.

[]9/8, 23:22[] I’ll get it out of you one day, I swear.

[]9/8, 23:23[] And as a man of your word, I believe that you truly believe that.

[]9/8, 23:23[] Full of jokes tonight, aren’t you?

[]9/8, 23:25[] I live to amuse.

[]9/8, 23:25[] And make you smile.

[]9/8, 23:27[] You are one of the few that do.

With a careful pause, nothing left in his glass, a thought perched on the edges of his mind that is already watery with cognitive dissonance, Hotch starts typing before he’s even fully made the decision.

[]9/8, 23:30[] You really think my flirting is borderline? I was going for subtlety, but I must be rusty.

[]9/8, 23:32[] Actually, I just thought I was projecting.

[]9/8, 23:23[] You were married, I didn’t want to presume.

Oh.

The consideration is touching, and sobering even in the dimness of his home office, but it draws the softest of smiles back to Hotch’s face when he begins to type out his answer.

[]9/8, 23:35[] Thank you, for thinking of me first.

[]9/8, 23:37[] But Haley and I separated a long time before she died. We were actually divorced before she went into WICSEC. I miss her every day. But I did try to date for a while, before that.

[]9/8, 23:39[] No luck? I would have thought the FBI badge would at least garner some interest.

[]9/8, 23:40[] I’ve been told I’m intimidating.

[]9/8, 23:41[] I don’t think you are.

[]9/8, 23:42[] You will if you ever meet me. I’ve made underlings cry before without speaking a word.

[]9/8, 23:44[] The Hotchner stare. Have you coined that?

[]9/8, 23:45[] I should. It’s got a ring to it.

They banter and causally slip a few more… flirtatious comments in, and Hotch realizes it really isn’t that much different than before. That he had indeed been flirting with the man long before he knew his age. Which was odd, he didn’t typically go for older men and women. But now that he’s aware Spencer is younger than he thought, possibly even his own age (he swears he is, would put money on it if he could), somehow there’s more of a charge in their correspondence, a warmth and buzzing elation that has nothing to do with his Scotch. Especially now that it’s long gone.

It’s all Spencer, and how they compliment each other, and Hotch finds himself near giddy with that information.

He tries, towards the end of the night where it tips over into the early hours of the morning, to imagine an image of Spencer again -- and finds that he doesn’t even care to. He’s enamored with the man and his wit and the way he makes Hotch laugh without trying. How he looks, his age, it doesn’t matter. Not really. Not to Hotch.

But he is still curious why Spencer won’t reveal it. He can’t be that young.

[]9/9, 00:43[] You really won’t tell me?

[]9/9, 00:45[] Maybe one day. When I’m feeling brave.

[]9/9, 00:46[] Well, I’ll be there. Waiting.

[]9/9, 00:46[] 32.

[]9/9, 00:47[] You’ll never guess.

[]9/9, 00:48[] There’s only so many numbers.

[]9/9, 00:50[] Goodnight, Hotch.

[9/9, 00:51] Goodnight, Spencer.

(tbc...)

Tagged List: @spencehotchner @ssa-sarahsunshine @gothamapologist @reidology @marsjareau @dragon-snaps-fandom @emmyraebird @just-an-emo-rat @aaron-hotchner187 @dk18077 @more-heid-pls @fakin-it-til-i-make-it @merpancake

#I've read and rewritten this chapter so many times I'm starting to hate it #but it's super important so I hope it lives up to expectations #we get to all the good stuff after this #but the development here is something I've spent WEEKS trying to make realistic so #I hope you all enjoy it <3 #Chapter updates are Saturdays at 5pm EST #if you want in on the tag list just message me <3 #HotchReid #Heid #katyswriting

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aconstantstateofbladerunner · 4 years ago

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101 Open MHA Gen Prompts

I had a very long ask game where people gave me fake titles and I came up with fic ideas to go with them. Multiple people asked to use some of them as prompts, and some of my friends have lately maligned the lack of gen prompts out there, so I decided to compile them all into a single post. Almost all of these are gen, aka not shipping, but you can do what you want I’m not your boss. Everything is free and open to use WITH CREDIT, so have fun with my word vomit.

1. In Dreams I Had the Sun - Being the number one hero isn’t all it’a cracked up to be, Toshinori realizes early on

2. The Chainlink Fence that Held the Ocean - In his new book post-retirement, All Might opens up about his regrets, struggles with mental health, and his issues with the hero system as a whole. The backlash is swift and intense.

3. Welcome to the Loud Silence - After an injury, Izuku is rendered deaf.

4. Water Since Turned Red - After a villain attack nearly kills All Might, the beach where Izuku used to go to find comfort now feels tainted.

5. all scrap left untouched is bound together - A group hero students who failed the provincial license exam for the third time, effectively ending their careers before they start, get together to take revenge on UA’s first years who beat them out.

6. You’ve saved more more times than you know - Times All Might saved people without his powers, just by being a cool, nice dude.

7. No Amount of Tragedy Can Justify Your Actions - A dying All for One tries to justify his centuries of cruelty to an uncaring Toshinori.

8. To Leave a Cage Locked - One for All is conscious and has a will of its own, one that doesn’t always line up with Izuku’s wellbeing.

9. Okay, who let in the Kraken? - Izuku is the reincarnation of an ancient eldritch horror.

10. keep us alive up above - Izuku and Shigaraki get trapped together somewhere. Izuku knows he needs the villain’s help to survive and escape, but the other would rather they both die.

11. The world will revolve around me neither less - The ebbs and flows of AFO’s influence over the years.

12. More Roulette, Not Russian - Kids get their quirks swapped.

13. Patron Saints - Toshinori teaches a class about pre-quirk superhero comic characters and their influence.

14. Don't Come Back - Touya Todoroki’s first few weeks after a severe injury resulted in his father abandoning him.

15. The Blessed and the Fool - Toshinori meets up with a few of his ua classmates after retiring.

16. Not Your Sacrifice - Some of the other kids have started adopting some of Izuku’s self sacrificing habits and the teachers are concerned.

17. Break in the Storm - Villains use a power outage as an opening to break into ua.

18. One Day Those Consequences Will Finally Catch Up - Even though the teachers don’t take her concerns seriously, Inko saves every piece of evidence regarding people hurting her son.

19. a garden in their eyes - Izuku meets a fan who got injured after trying to step into a villain fight, just like he did, and it makes him question some things.

20. what could have been, if not for you - After Inko divorces him, Hisashi’s goes to the press to say All Might stole his wife and son.

21. Promised Misery - All Might finds out the severity of Bakugou’s bullying, and warns him he’s on thin ice with him.

22. Fly Up Higher, Blossom Brighter - Izuku has to write a paper for middle school about being positive, intercut with all the bullshit he has to deal with.

23. Libre Me from Hell - One of Izuku’s new quirks is spiral related.

24. No One to Blame but Yourself - Izuku’s kindness doesn’t extend to murderers, tragic backstory or not.

25. At Its Finest - Izuku accidentally gets involved in a hero commission coverup.

26. A Rising Issue - Izuku starts developing more severe side effects of his injuries. He’s convinced he’s under the influence of a quirk, while the adults thing he’s finally gone too far hurting himself.

27. What you are in the Dark - Izuku usually keeps most of his anger to himself until he can’t.

28. nowhere to go - Inko moves into UA after their home was destroyed.

29. Something Without - My theory about the 2 OFA vestiges that are blurred out is they don’t approve of izuku as a successor. Izuku tries to figure out why.

30.��Walking with a Ghost - Toshinori joins the OFA dreams while he’s in a coma. He gets to reunite with nana, and is more open to Izuku about his past and feelings. Part of his starts to wonder if it’s worth waking up, since he will die and join the others eventually.

31. Death By Crying - Izuku is affected by a quirk that will suffocate him if he expresses any emotion.

32. Justice is Subjective - The hero commission gets to Shigaraki before AFO does.

33. Undo / Underdog - Death loop fic. Izuku keeps reliving the day he met all might after being killed by the sludge villain. he has to find a way to break the loop and survive, but he gets s little weaker every time he restarts.

34. Like Wildfire - A rumor that Izuku is All Might’s bio son picks up steam, and the characters have to decide whether to deny it but risk suspicion or play along and add a new layer to the lies protecting one for all.

35. Once Upon A December - All Might and Inko actually met in the past trope.

36. Some Legends Are Told - All Might’s first interview post-retirement.

37. Will The Real Mentor Please Stand Up - Aizawa considers himself the better teacher, but a lot of the kids seem to like All Might more.

38. I don't want the cure, I want the POISON! - Inko is killed in a hit and run, and Izuku becomes desperate to find the killer.

39. I will kill my heart before I dance on stage for these bigots - Izuku is interviewed as a rising star of UA, and the interviewer brings in some of his old bullies because they claimed to be his friends from middle school. Izuku does not play along.

40. Split Ends - A quirk gives Izuku brief visions of what would have happened if he made different decisions.

41. Dreamless Sleep - A One for All dream leaves Izuku with a cryptic half-warning, and he desperately experiments to try and figure out how to trigger the visions to get the rest of it.

42. toxic flowers and pretty blades - Young Inko escapes the constricting life of her cruel wealthy family by becoming a vigilante.

43. The Suns we Orbit - Some of the other teachers believe Izuku is too codependent on Toshinori, and separate them for a time.

44. Submerged - Similar to those buried alive fics only someone’s in a box at the bottom of the ocean.

45. Deprive - Izuku also loses his stomach to an injury, and struggles to adjust to the necessary lifestyle changes.

46. The ashes fall like snow - Post Kamino cleanup.

47. Home will always be here - Inko cares for Izuku after he’s sent home due to “trouble at work study” but he refuses to clarify what that means.

48. Playing Favorites - A look at several times where Izuku was punished, while Bakugou got off scot free.

49. Elusive Dreams - Some kind of training or issue forces the kids to stay away for several consecutive day, and they start losing it.

50. Fracture - Izuku struggles through physical therapy after a severe injury that leaves his hero career in question.

51. Starlight, Starbright - Space cadet au

52. Someone in Your Corner - Gran Torino looking after Nana, Toshi, and finally Izuku through the years.

53. I cast magic missile into the darkness - Generic “the gang plays d&d” fic.

54. One Month At A Time - Izuku breaks a limb, and has to let in heal naturally over the course of several months.

55. Head Above Water - Izuku runs out of his pain meds and can’t get access to more doses for a while, so he has to endure not only the pain, but the withdrawal symptoms.

56. Are you going to leave a path to trace - All Might uses a new strategy to try and get Izuku to be less self sacrificial: what about all the young kids who are going to look up to him?

57. The View from Halfway Down - Izuku realizes that a risky move has just landed him with a potentially life threatening injury, but the fight it still going.

58. The Dust Bites Back - A villain All Might defeated early in his career is back and out for revenge.

59. The Absence of your Worth - Nighteye thinks he’s put together a rock solid case for why izuku isn’t worthy of One for All. All Might’s response is to ask if he has something against quirkless people.

60. Behind the Screens Nobody is Afraid - All Might explains some of the context of his most popular hero videos to Izuku. They are much more tragic than the media has spun them in hindsight.

61. Under the Light of the Moon - Someone gets turned into a werewolf. And I ain’t talking the wattpad piss shit. I’m talking full-on back-breaking monstrous transformations into a bloodthirsty abomination set to Bad Moon Rising.

62. some dreams were made to be broken - Bakugou crosses a line and finally gets expelled.

63. You Say You're Into Closure - Izuku finally beats Bakugou in a one on one fight fair and square, but Bakugou is a sore loser.

64. Something or Someone Missing - AU’s memories of Izuku get wiped, but those closest to him can’t help but feel an absence.

65. Too Little Too Late - Izuku’s father returns to find he’s been replaced.

66. Collecting Dust - Inko goes through the stuff Izuku didn’t take to the dorms.

67. Where the souls of wanderers go - Toshi meets up with a retired hero support group.

68. Fragility of Trust - Suspected traitor au

69. no one answered - Izuku is trapped in a cell in a building that’s collapsing in slow motion due to a quirk.

70. Eye of the Storm - One of the other kids has a panic attack for the first time between public appearances. izuku has never seen from from the outside.

71. To Whom It May Concern - The kids find a mysterious collection of letters from previous students hidden in the ceiling of the classroom. Some are ominous, some are incomprehensible. Aizawa has no answers. They enthusiastically go to try and solve the mystery within, but that excitement quickly diminishes the more they find out.

72. Of Popsicles and Ponytails - All Might gets in a discussion with the other teachers about whether the Clark Kent glasses thing would actually work. All Might bets them it does, so he goes around town with no disguise other than his hair being up, and no one bats an eye.

73. All Men are Not Born Equal - Word gets out to the public that izuku used to be quirkless. Everyone finds out just how deep anti-quirkless sentiments run when some begin to question whether a quirkless kid should be at ua, regardless of whether or not he has a quirk now.

74. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies - Something about encountering death in person for the first time being the dividing line between child and adult.

75. Sins of the Father - All for One has had many children over the centuries, and has made numerous attempts to groom them into the ideal heir with several different methods. None of them worked though.

76. Where The Dead Come To Rest - The kids come home after a long, grueling mission where they saw some shit, and are too tired to process what they went through. They take off their gear for plain clothes, then sit in the common room in silence long into the night, not wanting to open themselves up but also not wanting to be alone.

77. Rivalry - Nighteye tries to pit Izuku and Mirio against one another. It goes right over Mirio’s head, but Izuku becomes convinced the other boy is in on Nighteye’s plan to wear him down until he gives up One for All.

78. A Subtle Language - All Might and Nana never said out loud that they loved each other, but little things told them that they did. All Might hopes to pass a similar love down to his own successor. But Izuku is very different than himself as a kid, and he needs to learn a new subtle language of affection.

79. It’s Gone - One for All stops working one day.

80. A Sight For Sore Eyes - All Might looking after Izuku in the aftermath of the second movie.

81. Loose Lips (sink ships) - Bakugou blurts out something about One for All during a rage, so the rest of the class jump on him and Izuku for answers.

82. No Expectations - Word gets out that All Might is going to choose a successor. None of the theories or speculation online resemble Izuku in the slightest.

83. Eden was Only a Garden - Izuku gets hit with a quirk that erases some of his most traumatic memories, but in doing so loses part of who he is.

84. Run it Down - With all Izuku’s new quirks and his incredible skill, some of the other students with similar powers (Iida, Sero, Uraraka) start to feel like izuku is upstaging them. And it affects their friendship.

85. Fool's Gold - Bakugou grows even more jealous of Izuku having One for All, and his relationship with All Might. He thinks that if he could just prove himself to be more worthy, All Might would change his mind and name him his successor. But in reality, he ends up jeopardizing the relationship they already have.

86. somewhere down the road - The final deadline for Nighteye’s predictions passes, and All Might lives. He debates telling Izuku, as even though it would be a weight off the boy’s mind, he doesn’t want to jinx it. He will still die eventually after all.

87. Just For You - All Might has certain rules and boundaries for fan interactions that he completely ignores for Izuku.

88. if these walls could talk (their whispers would be maddening) - Montage of training accidents in a ‘cursed’ ua gym

89. If Only I Could... - Nighteye tells Mirio about One for All, including that he thinks he’s more deserving than Izuku and he plans to pressure him into giving it up. Mirio struggles with the knowledge that his mentor, someone he respected more than anything, only saw him as a replacement for All Might, meanwhile watching Izuku strain under the pressure of that mentor’s impossible expectations.

90. This is a Test Designed to Provoke an Emotional Response - shameless Blade Runner AU

91. Once and for All - Retelling of the Superman story “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?” with All Might. Some new heroes use much more aggressive and violent tactics against villains while also upstaging All Might. That, and there general approval from the public cause All Might to question his moral code.

92. Sitting In The Rain - Tsuyu likes to just sit out in the rain sometimes. Not do anything, just sit there. Some friends decide to join her.

93. At Sundown - Mysterious creatures start attacking ua every night. The gang works tirelessly during the day to find the cause and a solution, while defending their school and each other at night.

94. The 1000th time's the charm - Uraraka has been practicing a new move in secret but they just can’t get it right. She wants it to be perfect before showing it off. But one attempt gets her seriously hurt while training alone at night in one of the gyms, and she’s too hurt to get up to the phone to call for help.

95. Sunflower Seeds - All Might attempts to start a garden as a new hobby.

96. What It Means To Be Human - Sun god Toshi starts living among people.

97. Eyes on Me - All Might teaches Izuku some unarmed fighting moves to defend himself from bullies.

98. one remains - Izuku has developed all but one of the quirks he’s slated to, and he has no idea what it will be. Anxiety ensues.

99. Come Back Home - Izuku vanishes from campus and everyone assumes he was kidnapped, but in reality he ran away to try and clear his head after a depressive spiral. He goes by train as far away as he can until he comes to his senses and calls the others.

100. I Won - Izuku accidentally managed to kill Shigaraki during a skirmish, and while everyone around him praises his heroics, he struggles to deal with the fact that he killed someone.

101. Ivory Tower - All Might grapples with how much izuku suffered as a quirkless person, how he could have done more for quirkless rights in his time as a hero, and how now people may not care as much because he’s retired.

Reminder to credit me if you use any of these prompts, and a special thanks to everyone who submitted titles!

#mha #bnha #mha prompts #bnha prompts #mha fanfiction #bnha fanfiction #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #dad might #all might #toshinori yagi #midoriya izuku #deku #bakugou katsuki #aconstantstateoffanfiction

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glitterytidalwavedragon · 4 years ago

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Expanding into my other Fandoms (I’m gonna have to take a stance) Read the whole thing please.

One of my oldest and most beloved anime is Inuyasha. As of late I have been binged watching the hell out of it as I am getting my BFF into different anime shows. We are really close to entering the Yashahime part of the series, and she asked if I planned to write fanfiction involving the one character which made me even watch the show as a 10-year-old.

Sesshomaru

The first episode I ever watched involved this aloof, entitled dog fighting his brother over the sword in their father’s grave. Specifically, it was part 3 of that whole episode series were Kagome pulled out the sword. I at the time had 3 dogs of German Sheppard/wolf hybrid, they were MASSIVE dogs, fell in love with the big white fluff that was Sesshomaru’s demon form. I use to sneak staying up and watch the show faithfully to see the goodest boy as it was only on at 11pm EST on adult swim. Which meant it was bad and I was breaking the rules, I felt like a rebel.

Now I hesitated answering that question. She has no idea of what is in Yashahime, she is being careful not to spoil it so I told her I didn’t know. Recently, to find out what the feel is for Sesshomaru content, I looked into the tag on tumblr…

OH MY GOD.

Sesshomaru’s tag is FLOODED with hate. Like every four post, there is hate, distain, and attacking happening. As someone who watches Yashahime, I quickly knew why.

Sessrin.

Even now I sigh. And I sigh HARD. I am not for, nor am I against the Sessrin train. Same for the Sesskagu train. I think both sides need to look at things on a logical prospective. I plan to do just that. I know I will get hate from the either side and maybe some support as well. But if I am going to do anything in this fandom (as I like doing ships and reader inserts) it will come up.

So, like my Kaiba post, and my Sebastian Heel post, I will use my research skills as well as my COLLEGE DEGREE WHICH HAS BOTH ART AND MEDIEVAL HISTORY labelled on it to explain why this progression in the story is normal to anti-Sessrin fans and why this isn’t a crime by story standards nor should we look at it as a crime.

AS WELL

Explain to Sessrin fans why it is so weird for non-shippers to see it play out and why so much hate formed.

As I let out another sigh, we shall begin. Let’s start at an historical prospective. (Links at the bottom).

PLEASE READ THE WHOLE THING! I’LL BE ABLE TO TELL!

I will start with the information I can access right away.

While finding charts on the life-span of common folk in 1590’s Feudal Japan is rather difficult, Ancient.edu states that the average lifespan was about 50. To put this in perspective, the average lifespan of Europeans at the time was somewhere between 40-45 with the latter being rare. Since most of us reading are not from Japanese descent, I will through Europe in this first.

If we look at the same time frame of 1590, we are looking at most of Western Europe had now entered the age of Renaissance. According to sources from Learning Resources in association with the National Gallery of Art, marriage was not what TV drama’s from HBO or Hulu depicted. By today standards they would be a crime, as the average age for marriage of an adult female was age 14…

The reasoning behind the young marriage age had multiple factors. First being, females were considered an adult once they were menstruating. Birthing also proved to be fatal, and since the lifespan was at best 40 and 45 if they were lucky, there was really no room to wait. Also Europe at the time had became hugely focused on making sure blood lines were legitimate, meaning to ensure the girl was a virgin, the moment she was able to reproduced she was married off. Those they married were not young teenagers either. Most marriages, a man would be in their thirties, and had probably multiple wives as women died more than men when not counting the battle field.

To make matters worse for the Renaissance Lady, these marriages would leave many young males unable to marry and if their husband died in battle, well, unfortunately they were not seen as desirable. This was due to the idea of a ‘free woman’. Should the girl not have a father, brother or uncle to return to as they too died, a widow had her freedom. But that freedom came at a cost. She would be assumed to have slept around, and in many writings, such as the Canterbury Tales, where Geoffrey Chaucer writes about a Window on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land survived her five husbands and the men in her family. In short, she was made to be a slut and to be looked down upon as no man controlled her.

The point of talking about Europe is because that is something most of us Non-Asian or Japanese people consume and like to paint in large romantic brush strokes of knights and magic. Honestly, reading G.R.R.Martin Song of Ice and Fire, he uses this model as we see the Queen of Dragons, Danny start off at age thirteen shortly after she had her first menstruation.

Now let’s look at Feudal Japan.

As stated before, the lifespan was around 50 years. In some populations, this was even shorter. Nagaoka, Hirata, Yokota and Matsu’ura’s on demographic data at the Yuigahama-minami area in Kamakura, Japan and found both male and female remains that suggested life expectancy to have ended around age 24-25. This was largely due to living conditions and public health. In areas like these, it would make the most sense to marry and repopulate quickly as the expectancy of life was half the national average at the time.

To my frustration, I could not find a clear marriage age for Japanese women at the time of the edo period. HOWEVER, where there is a will there is a way. I took a look at famous Lords or Daimyo’s of the time. The average age of marriage of their wives was between 12-14. Much younger than I expected, but it made sense considering this is a time where war ran the show and marriage was strictly about political gain. One of these Daimyo’s was Masamune Date, who was also 13, but then as he got older took concubines who became considerably younger than him as he became older. The goal was to have as many children as possible for hires and for political marriages to gain power.

Now lets look at Inuyasha the MANGA

Lets get the manga timeline proper here. The whole adventure took place in 11 months, a month shy of Kagome’s 16th birthday. Doing a few estimations, Rin would have travelled with Sesshomaru about 8-9 of those months. But before we get into the relationship, lets look at something the ANIME made a huge mistake with in the beginning and tried to fix as the story went on.

For some reason I could only fine gifs for the Early appearances of Sesshomaru so bear with me.

Early appearances in the manga

^ He was so fickle and a trickster then...

Now early apperances in the anime.

Later appearance in the manga

Laster appearance in the anime

Notice the issue here?

Sesshomaru was CONSIDERABLY younger looking in the start of the manga. In the anime, he started off looking like an fully adult male. But as the anime went on, they tried to make Sesshomaru look younger with subtle changes to his jaw line, eye size, and his height. Yeah, his height had changed. They made him shorter.

While in the manga, we see this young-teen looking demon, slowly mature over 11 months to look like he is in his later teens and by series end, closer to being in his late teens or twenty. Yes, art changes over time, but the anime went a reverse route. I can only guess they spoke to the author of Inuyasha about her ships, as they did Drama CDs, and realized the mistake that was made in making him more mature than he was.

You can’t tell me he doesn’t look closer to his manga self in the final act, because he does.

Since we are on the topic of the anime, lets be clear. The anime timeline and manga timeline are very different. The story in the anime (in the English) suggests that OVER a year has past since Kagome started her journey. They try to fix this in the final act, but it was still so muddled as previous seasons are to be taken as cannon. This could have been due to an translation error in the early production when the anime no longer had anymore manga material to reference. But whatever the case, for English viewers the time the group spent together felt much longer.

So now we come to the heart of the issue.

Because of the mistakes of the anime, a lot of anti-sessrin see the relationship as father daughter. I’ll be honest, watching the anime and solely the anime as a teenager and as an adult (as the manga was on hold for a very long time due to author’s health. I was in college when it finished.), I too thought it was just a father-daughter relationship and Jaken the nanny who got punched all the time. In fact, the English took hard liberties with Kagura, as the English dubs often do with characters, and made it very clear her feelings for the demon lord and Sesshomaru very much recognized them (though he never responded). Even in her death scene, it felt as if he was saying good bye to a friend more than love interest. But who really knows, as there are things that point otherwise. When another demon mock’s Kagura’s death, Sesshomaru gets super pissy.

The manga did also play with this fact when it came out in English, idk if the wording or message is different in the Japanese. Translation errors happen a lot even in todays releases, look at Kuroshitsuji. So of course most anti-sessrin’s did not see this coming in Yashahime when Rin was named mother. In fact it felt like a betrayal as we were sure Sesshomaru had no romantic feelings.

Then there was the Kohaku/Rin mashup that was hinted left and right. The English anime, with its overly dramatic and blunt emotions made it appear one way. That in the end the two kids would probably be married. Then the anime as a whole made Sesshomaru older than intended. I can see why and understand how this became a problem.

On the other side of that coin.

If you followed the dub, seen ‘Swords of an Honorable Ruler’ and read the manga… Sesshomaru was not fatherly to Rin at all. In fact, Jaken picked up all of that leg work. Rin worried for Kohaku, but clearly loved Lord Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru cared about Kagura but he almost CRIED when he lost Rin.

We have to remember that Sesshomaru and Rin’s relationship must have been very hard for the demon. While we never see his mental process expect for a few rare times, we have to remember he hated humans. In the movie, he blamed a human for the early death of his father, Sesshomaru killed without mercy. It made sense that he wouldn’t be fatherly to Rin as her just being there should have caused countless inner conflicts. Hell, he even says his father’s weakness was humans, and look who picked up that trait.

Sesshomaru was designed to, someday, walk in his father’s footsteps. So sess/rin, not a surprise. Also when you see it in a historical perspective, Rin having kids around age 15-16, makes sense. In fact you could argue he waited too long for the time period.

We also need to look more at the manga when concerned with Yashahime. 8-9 months is all Rin travelled with him and he was like hold up, and left her at the village because he KNEW she needed to come to her own conclusion. That no matter what she picked he would live with and protect her. Unconditional love on his end. She cannon wise spent YEARS living with humans and MONTHS with Sesshomaru. Again, by manga standards of cannon.

Now I can already hear the screaming about age and what not. Some sources say Sesshomaru is over 900, by the rule of thumb, if we look at anime and movie releases, we have Sesshomaru being over 500 with no define age and Inuyasha around 270 years old being more pinpointed due to the movie. Just by going by ANIME CANNON. Kagome and Inuyasha, you have a 15 year old with a 270 year old man. If you say being pinned to the tree doesn’t count, then you have 220.

Also, here is something very interesting. In the episode where Inuyasha meets the unmother, he tells her, thinking it was his mom, she died when he was very small and we have flash backs later in the series of him being small running from demons. Demons clearly age much slower than humans, even half-demons. Inuyasha can be 270 but mentally and physically be 15, the same logic works for Sesshomaru, who in the manga is not much older than Inuyasha.

In the manga, there wasn’t any grooming, in the anime, there was a ton of mess-ups but no grooming.

Would this fly in todays world? HELL NO! NO, its gross, she’s a kid. Stop.

I know any fanfic I write will lean heavily on the side of father/daughter because that is what I grew up seeing on the screen. I can’t think of Rin as an adult because years of seeing her as a cheerful little girl. It’s like seeing G.O.T Arya about to have sex for the first time in season 8… I remember when she was a kid on the show. It was way to weird and I had to look away until it ended. But that’s my 2021 mentality.

But Inuyasha is not taking place in 2021. Feudal Japan is a whole other era with its own beliefs, morals and way of life. Those who understand this have nothing wrong with them. They just understand history.

Also, just to bang some nails in…

Anyone remember Bleach? Remember the MOST accepted couple was Ichigo and Rukia…. Rukia who was hundreds of years old and Ichigo who was 15… or Ichigo’s mom who was a teenager and his dad also hundreds of years old.

Most of this also boils down to Sesshomaru being a dude. As in reverse roles in animes its accepted and they don’t have the same historical context. Inuyasha is based off of historical context of Feudal Japan.

We need to stop spreading hate. We can’t accept some forms of literature because its European fantasy but bash other fantasy based literature for doing the same thing.

Sure, its weird for those who were use to seeing the father/daughter dynamic. Yes, there are extreme sessrin fans who post really questionable illegal content when they decide to leave Rin as an 8-year-old…

But this wasn’t ever meant to be perverted. The story was meant to make sense on a logical and historical base.

I hope everyone takes the time to read this. I love Inuyasha, I love Sesshomaru. I am just sick of seeing so many people fighting over what should be the revival of a beloved series. While yes, there is still room for sess/rin not being a thing, until it is stated otherwise, why hate each other? This fandom will only lose people by doing this. Calling people names or accusing them of illegal endorsement can hurt someone these days over social media.

Tumblr allows you to block tags. You don’t have to read anything or watch anything you don’t like. We gain nothing from attacking each other but can lose so much by doing so. Fanart, really good fan fiction, friends, ideas, sharing fond memories. Both sides have the right to feel as they feel, but no right in hurting each other.

A fandom is meant to bring people together. Not start a war…

Thank you.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajpa.20402

http://www.italianrenaissanceresources.com/units/unit-2/essays/husbands-and-wives/#:~:text=Marriage%20not%20only%20reflected%20order,to%20ensure%20the%20bride's%20virginity.

https://www.ancient.eu/Canterbury_Tales/

https://www.ancient.eu/article/1424/daily-life-in-medieval-japan/#:~:text=Just%20as%20Japanese%20people%20today,in%20Western%20Europe%2C%20for%20example.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_Masamune

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megohime

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collegeburnoutsuperstar · 4 years ago

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2021 Book Recommendations

Way back in March 2020, at the very start of quarantine I did a little quarantine-read book rec list. We are now in 2021 and we are still in quarantine, so here’s an updated book rec post to help you through a socially distanced winter break and holiday season.

Non-Fiction:

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name | Audre Lorde | Adult | Memoir | LGBTQ | Zami provides a detailed look into Lorde’s life growing up in the 30s, 40s, and 50s as a young, poor, lesbian, black woman. Discussion focuses primarily on racism, poverty, and sexuality. | Trigger/Content Warnings: rape, suicide\suicide attempts, death, racism, abortion, mentions of cancer, mentions of abuse, sex.

Redefining Realness | Janet Mock | Adult | Memoir | LGBTQ | “This powerful memoir follows Mock’s quest for identity, from an early, unwavering conviction about her gender to a turbulent adolescence in Honolulu that saw her transitioning during the tender years of high school, self-medicating with hormones at fifteen, and flying across the world alone for sex reassignment surgery at just eighteen. With unflinching honesty, Mock uses her own experiences to impart vital insight about the unique challenges and vulnerabilities of trans youth and brave girls like herself” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: underage prostitution, transphobia, bullying.

An Autobiography | Angela Y. Davis | Adult | Memoir | A story of racism, discrimination, imprisonment, and Communism; “the author, a political activist, reflects upon the people and incidents that have influenced her life and commitment to global liberation of the oppressed” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: racism, murder, violence, police brutality.

Before Night Falls | Reinaldo Arenas | Adult | Memoir | LGBTQ | “Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas describes his poverty-stricken childhood in rural Cuba, his adolescence as a rebel fighting for Fidel Castro, and his life in revolutionary Cuba as a homosexual. Very quickly, the Castro government suppressed his writing and persecuted him for his homosexuality until he was final imprisoned” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: underage sexual experiences with other minors, statutory rape, bestiality, incest, graphic descriptions of sex, suicide attempts, mentions of suicide, mentions of AIDs, homophobia.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Maya Angelou | Adult | “Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local ‘powhitetrash’. At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age-- and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Year later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned” (Goodreads).

Notes of a Native Son | James Baldwin | Adult | Essay Collection | “Written during the 1940s, when Baldwin was only in his twenties, the essays collected in Notes of a Native Son capture a view of black life and black thought at the dawn of the Civil Rights movement and as the movement slowly gained strength through the words of one of the most captivating essayists and foremost intellectuals of that era. Writing as an artist, activist, and social critic, Baldwin probes the complex condition of being black in America. With a keen eye, he examines everything from the significance of the protest novel to the motives and circumstances of the many black expatriates of the time” (Amazon).

Contemporary Fiction:

Alex in Wonderland | Simon James Green | Young Adult | Romance | LGBTQ | “ In the town of Newsands, painfully shy Alex is abandoned by his two best friends for the summer. But he unexpectedly lands a part-time job at Wonderland, a run-down amusement arcade on the seafront, where he gets to know the other teen misfits who work there. Alex starts to come out of his shell, and even starts to develop feelings for co-worker Ben... who, as Alex's bad luck would have it, has a girlfriend. Then as debtors close in on Wonderland and mysterious, threatening notes start to appear, Alex and his new friends take it on themselves to save their declining employer. But, like everything in Wonderland, nothing is quite what it seems” (Goodreads).

Red, White & Royal Blue | Casey McQuiston | New Adult | Romance | LGBTQ | First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of United States President Ellen Claremont, finds himself back in the public eye after a confrontation with his nemesis, His Royal Highness Prince Henry, at a royal wedding. The only way to save American/British relations from crumbling: Create a fake friendship between Alex and Henry. But what happens when this fake friendship becomes something more? How will these two young men go down in history?

Fifty Shames of Earl Gray | Fanny Merkin | Adult | Parody/Humor | Very Heterosexual | “ Young, arrogant, tycoon Earl Grey seduces the naïve coed Anna Steal with his overpowering good looks and staggering amounts of money, but will she be able to get past his fifty shames, including shopping at Walmart on Saturdays, bondage with handcuffs, and his love of BDSM (Bards, Dragons, Sorcery, and Magick)? Or will his dark secrets and constant smirking drive her over the edge?” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: the is a parody of Fifty Shades of Grey...

Historical Fiction:

Water Music | T. Coraghessan Boyle | Adult | Adventure | “Set in the late eighteenth century, Water Music follows the wild adventures of Ned Rise, thief and whoremaster, and Mungo Park, a Scottish explorer, through London’s seamy gutters and Scotland’s scenic highlands to their grand meeting in the heart of darkest Africa. There they join forces and wend their hilarious way to the source of the Niger” (Goodreads).

The Island of the Day Before | Umberto Eco | Adult | Italian Literature | “After a violent storm in the South Pacific in the year 1643, Roberto della Griva finds himself shipwrecked-on a ship. Swept from the Amaryllis, he has managed to pull himself aboard the Daphne, anchored in the bay of a beautiful island. The ship is fully provisioned, he discovers, but the crew is missing. As Roberto explores the different cabinets in the hold, he remembers chapters from his youth: Ferrante, his imaginary evil brother; the siege of Casale, that meaningless chess move in the Thirty Years' War in which he lost his father and his illusions; and the lessons given him on Reasons of State, fencing, the writing of love letters, and blasphemy. In this fascinating, lyrical tale, Umberto Eco tells of a young dreamer searching for love and meaning; and of a most amazing old Jesuit who, with his clocks and maps, has plumbed the secrets of longitudes, the four moons of Jupiter, and the Flood” (Goodreads).

Brethren [Raised by Wolves series 1] | W. A. Hoffman | Adult | Adventure/Buccaneers | LGBTQ | “John Williams, the Viscount of Marsdale, libertine, duelist, dilettante, haphazard philanthropist and philosopher, is asked by his estranged father to start a plantation in Jamaica in 1667. He doesn’t realize that he is going to the right island for the wrong reasons until he meets buccaneers and learns he has for more in common with the wild Brethren of the Coast than he does with the nobility of Christendom. Still, he questions joining them and leaving his title and the plantation behind until her meets Gaston the Ghoul, a mysterious French buccaneer who is purportedly mad. He quickly decides that the freedom of buccaneer life [...] [is] better than anything he could ever inherit” (Goodreads). Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, mentions of rape, mentions of death, mentions of torture, mentions of abuse, mentions of incest, slavery, discussions of mental illness at a time when it is not really understood, descriptions of sex, alcohol use.

Captive Prince [The Captive Prince Trilogy 1] | C. S. Pacat | Adult | Historical-inspired Fiction | LGBTQ [more in later books] | Prince Damianos of Akielos finds himself captured and stripped of his true identity when someone close to the Prince makes a move for the throne. Part of the plot: ship the captured Prince to the enemy nation of Vere as a pleasure slave. In Vere, Damianos takes on a new identity, or else he would immediately be put to death by his new master, the Prince of Vere. Damianos quickly discovers that his capture and enslavement is not just an isolated incident, but is in fact part of a much larger plot that will drastically change the futures of both Akielos and Vere. | Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, torture, slavery/pleasure slaves [partially set within a culture that uses slaves], death, pedophilia, mentions of rape, descriptions of sex, suicide [in the second book]. DISCLAIMER: This trilogy has an enemies-to-lovers subplot, but it is in no way romanticizing slavery, rape, or violence. The romance subplot does not start until the characters undergo massive amounts of character growth and development.

11/22/63 | Stephen King | Adult | Time Travel | Thriller | Jake Epping, a thirty-five year old high school teacher English teacher and GED teacher from Maine embarks on a world-changing mission after a trip to the storeroom of his friend Al’s diner. Within the storeroom, Al has been hiding a secret, a secret that is objectively better than anything else that could’ve been hidden in a diner storeroom. Al has a portal to 1958. The mission: try to stop the Kennedy Assassination. Just remember, the current timeline may just be the best one. | Trigger/Content Warnings: death, violence, racism, domestic abuse, political assassination.

Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy:

The Rage of Dragons | Evan Winter | High Fantasy | “The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been billt around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine. Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He is going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn’t get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He’ll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him” (Goodreads).

The Binding | Bridget Collins | Historical Fantasy | LGBTQ | While suffering from a mysterious illness, Emmett Farmer is sent away from his family to apprentice at a bookbinder’s workshop. But Emmett has been taught to hate books his whole life, they are dangerous and shameful. But under the instruction of the book binder, Emmett learns the secrets that books hold and uncovers a past that he didn’t even know he had. | Trigger/Content Warnings: homophobia, death, suicide, allusions to rape.

The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune | Suitable for all ages | Urban Fantasy | LGBTQ | Don’t you wish you were here? Forty year old Linus Baker lives a lonesome, drear life. For seventeen years, Mr. Baker has worked as a case worker at the Department In Charge Of Magical Youth where he monitors the treatment of magical children in government-sanctioned orphanages. In a break from his usual routine, Mr. Baker is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management and is assigned a highly classified and possibly dangerous case. He is sent to the Marsyas Island Orphanage where he meets the six dangerous children; a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist, along with their caretaker Arthur Parnassus. At the the end of his stay, Mr. Baker must make a decision: Should he follow the rules, or protect a family?

Wolfsong [The Green Creak Series 1] | T.J. Klune | Paranormal/Shifter Romance | LGBTQ | “Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left. Ox was sixteen when he met a boy on the road, the boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane. Ox was seventeen when he found out they boy’s secret, and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega. Ox was twenty-three when murder can to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces. It’s been three years since that fateful day-- and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, death, age-gap romance.

The City of Dreaming Books | Walter Moers | German Fantasy | Absurd Fantasy | “Optimus Yarnspinner, a young writer, inherits from his beloved godfather an unpublished short story by an unknown author. His search for the author’s identity takes him to Bookholm-- the so-called City of Dreaming Books. On entering its streets, our hero feels as if he opened the door of a gigantic second-hand bookshop. His nostrils are assailed by clouds of book dust, the stimulating sent of ancient leather, and the tang of printer’s ink. Soon, though, Yarnspinner falls into the clutches of the city’s evil genius, Pfistomel Smyke, who treacherously maroons him in the labyrinthine catacombs underneath the city, where reading books can be genuinely dangerous” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: death, largely takes place in underground tunnels, illustrations can be unsettling.

Bored of the Rings: A Parody of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings | The Harvard Lampoon, Henry N. Beard, Douglas C. Kenney | NOT AT ALL FOR CHILDREN | Parody/Humor | Adventure | “A quest, a war, a ring that would be grounds for calling any wedding off, a king without a kingdom, and a little, furry ‘hero’ named Frito, ready-- or maybe just forced by the wizard Goodgulf-- to undertake the one mission which can save Lower Middle Earth from enslavement by the evil Sorhed. Luscious Elfmaidens, a roller-skating dragon, ugly plants that can soul-kiss the unwary to death-- these are just some of the ingredients in the wildest, wackiest, most irreverent excursion into fantasy realms that anyone has ever dared to undertake” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: drug/alcohol use.

Dune | Frank Herbert | Science Fiction/Science Fantasy | “Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the ‘spice’ melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for. When house Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: death, drug use.

The Magicians [The Magicians Trilogy 1] | Lev Grossman | Urban/Portal Fantasy | “Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery. He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. Something is missing, though. Magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. After graduation he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. But the land of Quentin’s fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he could have imagined. His childhood dream becomes a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: drug/alcohol abuse, depression, death, rape [in book 2].

Mo Dao Zu Shi | Mo Xiang Tong Xiu | Wuxia/Chinese Fantasy | LGBTQ | “As the grandmaster who founded demonic cultivation, Wei WuXian roamed the world in his wanton ways, hated by millions for the chaos he created. In the end, he was backstabbed by his dearest shidi and killed by powerful clans that combined to overpower him. He incarnates into the body of a lunatic who was abandoned by his clan and is later, unwillingly, taken away by a famous cultivator among the sects-- Lan WanJi, his archenemy. This marks the start of a thrilling yet hilarious journey of attacking monsters, solving mysteries, and raising children[...] Along the way, Wei WuXian slowly realizes that Lan WanJi, a seemingly haughty and indifferent poker-face, holds more feelings for Wei WuXian than he is letting on” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: suicide, death, murder, violence, incest, rape (I think), abuse, abusive families.

The Eye of the World [The Wheel of Time series 1] | Robert Jordan | Epic Fantasy | Adventure | “The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time. The Wheel of Time Turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. When The Two-Rivers is attacked by Trollocs-- a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts-- five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: death, violence.

The Lies of Locke Lamora [Gentleman Bastard Series 1] | Scott Lynch | Heist Fantasy | “An Orphan’s life is harsh-- and often short-- in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game-- or die trying” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: death, violence, torture.

The Name of the Wind [The Kingkiller Chronicle 1] | Patrick Rothfuss | Epic Fantasy | “My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths my moonlight that others fear to speak of during the day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me” (The Name of the Wind). | Trigger/Content Warnings: death, violence, abuse, book three still doesn’t have a release date.

Trick [Foolish Kingdoms 1] | Natalia Jaster | Fantasy Romance | LGBTQ | “There is only one rule amongst his kind: A jester doesn’t lie. In the Kingdom of Spring, Poet is renowned. He’s young and pretty, a lover of men and women, he performs for the court, kisses like a scoundrel, and mocks with a silver tongue. Yet allow him this: It’s only the most cunning, most manipulative soul who can play the fool. For Poet guards a secret. One the Crown would shackle him for. One that he’ll risk everything to protect. Alas, it will take more than clever words to deceive Princess Briar. Convinced that he’s juggling lies as well as verse, this righteous nuisance of a girl is determined to expose him. But not all falsehoods are fiendish. Poet’s secret is delicate, binding the jester to the princess in an unlikely alliance, and kindling a breathless attraction, as alluring as it is forbidden” (Goodreads).

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? | Philip K. Dick | Science Fiction | “It was January 2021, and Rick Deckard had a license to kill. Somewhere among the hordes of humans out there, lurked several rogue androids. Deckard’s assignment-- find them and then ‘retire’ them. Trouble was, the androids all looked exactly like humans, and they didn’t want to be found out” (Goodreads).

Young Adult Science-Fiction & Fantasy:

Cemetery Boys | Aiden Thomas | Urban Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQ | “Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: transphobia, dead-naming.

In Other Lands | Sarah Rees Brennan | Urban/Portal Fantasy | LGBTQ | “The Borderlands aren’t like anywhere else. Don’t try to smuggle a phone or any other piece of technology over the wall that marks the Border—unless you enjoy a fireworks display in your backpack. (Ballpoint pens are okay.) There are elves, harpies, and—best of all as far as Elliot is concerned—mermaids. Elliot? Who’s Elliot? Elliot is thirteen years old. He’s smart and just a tiny bit obnoxious. Sometimes more than a tiny bit. When his class goes on a field trip and he can see a wall that no one else can see, he is given the chance to go to school in the Borderlands. It turns out that on the other side of the wall, classes involve a lot more weaponry and fitness training and fewer mermaids than he expected. On the other hand, there’s Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle, an elven warrior who is more beautiful than anyone Elliot has ever seen, and then there’s her human friend Luke: sunny, blond, and annoyingly likeable. There are lots of interesting books. There’s even the chance Elliot might be able to change the world” (Goodreads).

The Fascinators | Andrew Eliopulos | Urban Fantasy | LGBTQ | “Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, Sam needs his friends James and Delia—and their time together in their school's magic club—to see him through to graduation. But as soon as senior year starts, little cracks in their group begin to show. Sam may or may not be in love with James. Delia is growing more frustrated with their amateur magic club. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy magickers over the summer, putting a target on all their backs. With so many fault lines threatening to derail his hopes for the year, Sam is forced to face the fact that the very love of magic that brought his group together is now tearing them apart—and there are some problems that no amount of magic can fix” (Goodreads).

Things Not Seen | Andrew Clements | Science Fiction | Realistic Fiction | “Bobby Philips is an average fifteen-year-old boy. Until the morning he wakes up and can’t see himself in the mirror. Not blind, not dreaming. Bobby is just plain invisible. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to Bobby’s new condition; even his dad the physicist can’t figure it out. For Bobby that means no school, no friends, no life. He’s a missing person. Then he meets Alicia. She’s blind, and Bobby can’t resist talking to her, trusting her. But people are starting to wonder where Bobby is. Bobby knows that his invisibility could have dangerous consequences for his family and that time is running out. He has to find out how to be seen again before it’s too late” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: Car accident.

Howl’s Moving Castle [Howl’s Moving Castle series 1] | Diana Wynne Jones | Fantasy | Portal Fantasy | Adventure | “Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl --and herself-- than first meets the eye” (Goodreads).

Castle in the Air [Howl’s Moving Castle series 2] | Diana Wynne Jones | Fantasy | Adventure | “In which a humble young carpet merchant wins, then loses, the princess of his dreams. Far to the south of the land of Ingary, in the Sultanates of Rashpuht, there lived in the city of Zanzib a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer named Abdullah who loved to spend his time daydreaming. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet. That very night, the carpet flew him to an enchanted garden. There, he met and fell in love with the beauteous princess Flower-in-the-Night, only to have her snatched away, right under his very nose, by a wicked djinn. With only his magic carpet and his wits to help him, Abdullah sets off to rescue his princess” (Goodreads).

A Wizard of Earthsea [Earthsea Cycle 1] | Ursula K. Le Guin | Fantasy | “Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth. Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death’s threshold to restore the balance” (Goodreads).

Middle-Grade/Children’s Fiction:

Island of the Aunts | Eva Ibbotson | Middle-Grade | Fantasy | Adventure | “When the kindly old aunts decide that they need help caring for creatures who live on their hidden island, they know that adults can’t be trusted. What they need are a few special children who can keep a secret-- a secret as big as a magical island. And what better way to get children who can keep really big secrets, than to kidnap them! (After all, some children just plain need to be kidnapped.)” (Goodreads).

Ruby Holler | Sharon Creech | Middle-Grade | Realistic Fiction | Adventure | “Brother and sister Dallas and Florida are the ‘trouble twins.’ In their short thirteen years, they’ve passed through countless foster homes, only to return to their dreary orphanage, Boxton Creek Home. Run by the Trepids, a greedy and strict couple, Boxton Creek seems impossible to escape. When Mr. Trepid informs the twins that they’ll be helping old Tiller and Sairy Morey go on separate adventures, Dallas and Florida are suspicious. As the twins adjust to the natural beauty of the outdoors, help the Tillers prepare for their adventures, and foil a robbery, their ultimate search for freedom leads them home to Ruby Holler” (Goodreads).

The Westing Game | Ellen Raskin | Middle-Grade | Realistic Fiction | Mystery | “A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger --and a possible murderer-- to inherit his vast fortune, one thing’s for sure: Sam Westing may be dead... but that won’t stop him for playing one last game!” (Goodreads).

Midnight for Charlie Bone [The Children of the Red King series 1] | Jenny Nimmo | Middle-Grade | Urban Fantasy | “Charlie Bone has a special gift-- he can hear people in photographs talking! The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor’s Academy. His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor’s Academy, a school for geniuses where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead” (Goodreads). | Trigger/Content Warnings: abusive family situations (mental and emotional), bullying, some parts can be creepy/spooky.

The Maze of Bones [The 39 Clues series 1 ] | Rick Riordan (the series is written by several different authors) | Middle-Grade | Mystery | Adventure | Action | “When their beloved aunt --matriarch of the world’s most powerful family-- dies, orphaned siblings Amy and Dan Cahill compete with less honorable Cahill descendants in a race around the world to find cryptic clues to a mysterious fortune” (Goodreads). Trigger/Content Warnings: Death, house fire, dead parents, abusive family.

The Doll People | Ann M. Martin | Middle-Grade | Fantasy | Adventure | “Annabelle Doll is 8 years old --and has been for over 100 years. Nothing much has changed in the dollhouse during that time, except for the fact that 45 years ago, Annabelle’s Auntie Sarah disappeared from the dollhouse without a trace. After all this time, restless Annabelle is becoming more and more curious about her aunt’s fate. And when she discovers Auntie Sarah’s old diary, she becomes positively driven. Her cautious family tries to discourage her, but Annabelle won’t be stopped, even though she risks Permanent Doll State, in which she could turn into a regular, nonliving doll. And when the ‘Real Pink Plastic’ Funcraft family moves in next door, the Doll family’s world is turned upside down --in more ways than one!” (Goodreads). | Content Waring: It’s living dolls, this is off-putting to many people.

Bud, Not Buddy | Christopher Paul Curtis | Middle-Grade | Historical Fiction | Realistic Fiction | “It’s 1936, in Flint Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud’s got a few things going for him: He has his own suitcase full of special things. He’s the author of Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!! Bud’s got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road and find this mystery man, nothing can stop him --not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even Herman E. Calloway himself” (Goodreads).

The Thief Lord | Cornelia Funke | Middle-Grade | Fantasy | Adventure | Mystery | “Two orphaned children are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city of Venice. Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greater threat to the boys’ new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past --a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself” (Goodreads).

Igraine the Brave | Cornelia Funke | Middle-Grade | Fantasy | Adventure | “Igraine dreams of being a famous knight like her great-grandfather, but castle life is boring. Until the nephew of the baroness-next-door plans to capture the castle for their singing spell books. At the moment of the siege, her parents mistakenly turn themselves into pigs. Aided by a Gentle Giant and a sorrowful Knight, Igraine must by brave, and save the day --and the books” (Goodreads).

Valley of the Dinosaurs [Magic Tree House series 1] | Mary Pope Osborne | Children’s Literature | Science Fiction (time travel) | “Eight-year-old Jack and his little sister, Annie, are playing in the woods during their summer holiday, when they find a mysterious tree house full of books. But these are no ordinary books... And this is no ordinary tree house... Jack and Annie get more than they had bargained for when Jack opens a book about dinosaurs and wishes he could see them for real. They end up in prehistoric times with Pteranodons, Triceratops and a huge Tyrannosaurus Rex! How will they get home again? The race is on!” (Goodreads).

Frindle | Andrew Clements | Middle-Grade | Realistic Fiction | “Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school --and he’s always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he’s got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny this is frindle doesn’t belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there’s nothing Nick can do to stop it” (Goodreads).

Knights of the Kitchen Table [Time Warp Trio series 1] | Jon Scieszka | Children’s Literature | Fantasy | Time Travel | “Magician Uncle Joe’s birthday present entitle ‘The Book’ swirls green mist and grants pal Fred’s wish to ‘see knights and all that stuff for real’, sending Sir Joe the Magnificent, Sir Fred the Awesome, and Sir Same the Unusual to King Arthur’s castle opposing the Black Knight, grossly smelly giant Bleob, and fire-breathing leather-winged iron-clawed green dragon Smaug. Fred plays tag and wields a baseball bat. Sam cleverly politicks. Joseph, Arthur tricks with cards. But Merlin has ‘The Book’ to get home” (Goodreads).

Over Sea, Under Stone [The Dark Is Rising series 1] | Susan Cooper | Middle-Grade | Fantasy | Arthurian Inspired | “On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that --the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their very lives in peril” (Goodreads).

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery [Bunnicula series 1] | Deborah Howe | Children’s Literature | Fantasy | Mystery | “BEWARE THE HARE! Is he or isn’t he a vampire? Before it’s too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household: a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits...and fangs!” (Goodreads).

Howliday Inn [Bunnicula series 2] | James Howe | Children’s Literature | Fantasy | Mystery | “Not a great place to visit, and you wouldn’t want to live there. The Monroes have gone on vacation, leaving Harold and Chester at Chateau Bow-Wow --not exactly a four-star hotel. On the animals’ very first night there, the silence is pierced by a peculiar wake-up call --an unearthly howl that makes Chester observe that the place should be called Howliday Inn. But the mysterious cries in the night (Chester is convinced there are werewolves afoot) are just the beginning of the frightening goings-on. Soon animals start disappearing, and there are whispers of murder. Is checkout time at Chateau Bow-Wow going to come earlier than Harold and Chester anticipated?” (Goodreads).

Peter Pan | J.M. Barrie | Children’s Literature | Fantasy | Adventure | “The mischievous boy who refuses to grow up, lands in the Darling’s proper middle-class home to look for his shadow. He befriends Wendy, John and Michael and teaches them to fly (with a little help from fairy dust). He and Tinker Bell whisk them off to Never-land where they encounter the Red Indians [Native Never-landers], the Little Lost Boys, pirates and the dastardly Captain Hook” (Goodreads). | Content Warnings: use of the terms “Red Indians” and “Indians” (and probably other racist terms, I can’t remember though).

Owl Moon | Jane Yolen | Picture Book | Realistic Fiction | “Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream. Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird. But there is no answer. Wordlessly the two companions walk along, for when you go owling you don’t need words. You don’t need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn’t an owl, but sometimes there is” (Goodreads).

Kiana’s Iditarod | Shelley Gill | Picture Book | Fiction | Educational | “Kiana is no ordinary dog. Born and bred to race, she leads her team of huskies on a journey unlike any other. The Iditarod --known traditionally as Alaska’s ‘Last Great Race’-- spans 1,049 icy miles from Anchorage to Nome. From the treacherous terrain to the bitter, blowing winds, the trail is full of obstacles Kiana and her team must overcome in order to reach the finish line. Along the way, they encounter pacts of wild wolves, a mighty moose, and other dog-sled teams fighting for first place. Can Kiana summon the strength of her team and lead them to victory? Author Shelley Gill brings her firsthand experience as the fifth woman to complete the Iditarod race to this crackling adventure story” (Amazon).

#bookblr #books recs #book recommendations #covid-19 #self quarantine #social distancing #quarantine and read #reading #fantasy #lgbt books #memoirs

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pixiegrl · 4 years ago

Text

You Are My Horizon

Jack comes to visit Rian at work. Rian's hopelessly in love.

Alright lets take it from the top:

Bet you never saw ATL fic coming from me? Well, here it is. Once again, this is part of a larger fic I'm writing. I'm blaming Rian's v-day thirst trap and Jack just being, you know, Jack for writing this. The only important thing to know going into this is that Rian and Jack are dating, Jack is trans, and that Rian works at a tattoo parlor owned by Ashton and Calum. The tattoo parlor is across from the flower show Luke (also trans) and Michael (non-binary) own.

Second: big thanks to @tigerteeff for whom I write all trans content. Thanks for listening to me yell about Trans Jack he is a special boy and I love him. Thanks to @lifewasradical @cakelftv @blackbutterfliescal and @staticsounds for listening to me yell about this fic (and the flower shop/tattoo parlor verse) and telling me how emo in a good way this is. I love you all dearly.

on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29500365

Rian’s sketching out the tattoo he’s designing when Jack comes into the back area of the parlor. He sighs dramatically, dropping himself into Rian’s lap and straddling him.

“Babe,” Jack whines.

“Hello to you too. Who’s watching Cam?”

“The puppy can be left alone for like an hour. I’ve been home all day. I missed you.”

“You saw me this morning.”

“That was hours ago. It’s like almost 5:00pm. I missed you,” Jack says, dropping his head down, resting it under Rian’s chin. Rian sighs, putting his pencil down and running his hands under Jack’s shirt. Jack sighs, pressing a kiss to Rian’s neck, easing into the touch. Rian likes Jack, all long legs and lean muscle, the contrast he is to Rian himself. He’s dyed his hair recently, a soft shade of blonde that contrasts with the dark hair of his beard. Rian remembers how excited Jack was about the beard when he started growing it, crowing that getting the hysterectomy finally helped him grow the hair that being on T didn’t. Jack’s painfully handsome these days, angled cheekbones and jaw framed by his beard, comfortable in his own skin. Jack has a soft smile on his face, as he pulls back, kissing Rian on the lips softly.

They trade soft kisses for a few moments before Jack pulls back, grinning mischievously.

“No,” Rian says.

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“You may not suck my dick at my place of work.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not sanitizing the whole workstation.”

Jack sighs dramatically, flopping onto Rian, “But you have to do that anyway.”

“And I’m not letting you get this place dirty. Or risking someone walking in on us Jack, these are my co-workers.”

“Spoil sport,” Jack says. Rian huffs a laugh, letting Jack steal his snapback and put it on. He snuggles into Rian’s side, watching him sketch out the flowers.

“What’s this one?”

“Tattoo for a client. She wants a whole bouquet for flowers for her family.”

“Isn’t that Sierra’s thing? The flowers?”

“She wants it in watercolor.”

“So your speciality.”

“My speciality,” Rian says. Jack hums, getting a hand underneath Rian’s shirt, tracing his abs lightly as he keeps watching Rian. He has to be uncomfortable, at the angle he’s at but Jack makes no move to change his position.

“Why don’t you head home? I have to finish this sketch up and it’s not going to be very interesting for you,” Rian says, after Jack shifts for the fifth time in ten minutes.

“I don’t want to head home though. Wanna go with you.”

“You drove your car here Jack. You’d be going home without me anyway.”

“I don’t want to go home and wait around for you though. I want to wait here, with you. I want to spend time with you,” Jack says, pouting lightly. Rian sighs, heart soft. He ducks his head down pressing a kiss to Jack’s temple. Jack laughs, scrunching his nose up. He rests his head on Rian’s shoulder, watching as Rian works on the sketch around Jack’s long limbs.

“You know, I didn’t see myself being 32,” Jack says, just barely above a whisper. Rian stops what he’s doing, turning his attention to the boyfriend in his lap.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. At 15 I didn’t see myself making it to 20. I was a depressed teen, self-harming because I hated the way I looked and that I couldn’t understand what was going on. I thought I’d kill myself before 20 trying to figure it out. Then, I was 20 and I couldn’t see myself at 25. I finally had the words to understand what I was feeling and who I was, but then you’re going through therapists and doctors, people are giving you papers and reports and explanations and telling you how much money it all is to just be yourself. I thought I’d die under the stress of it all, the constant feeling of just having to fight to be myself,” Jack says, shrugging.

He picks at the edge of Rian’s shirt, pulling at a loose thread there, head resting on Rian’s shoulder, nose touching his neck. Rian puts his pencil down, stroking his hand over Jack’s back, letting Jack nuzzle into him. They sit there for a few moments in silence before Rian finally works up the courage to ask Jack his question.

“What about at 25?” Rian asks, soft, squeezing Jack’s hip lightly.

“I got the right therapist. I went on T. They finally approved things and I had the money for my top surgery. There was light at the end of the tunnel. And then I met you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I love who I am, don’t get me wrong. I love being trans and I love being myself and I’m happy with myself. It took me so long to get there, but I love myself. But it’s hard, when you’re two months out of top surgery, when your voice still cracks, when you’re worried about how everyone else will see you, to picture someone loving you the way you love yourself. Especially when they look like you,” Jack says. He tilts his head up, looking at Rian, eyes a little wet. Rian laughs, breathless, at the idea of it all.

He remembers meeting Jack with the sort of clarity that only comes with the certainty of knowing that this is your person, with the knowledge to capture this moment, so you can tell your family, your friends, write it into your wedding vows, tell it to your children. Alex had invited him to the back to school brunch he hosted with Lisa every year before school started. Rian had grumbled about it, considering he’s not a teacher what does it matter, but Alex has insisted that as his oldest friend Rian should come (he found out later Alex had intentionally done it to try and set him and Jack up, but Rian can’t really be mad about it). He’d found Jack, with his grown out emo fringe and home dyed red hair, standing by the music, trying to hijack it to play Blink-182 and complaining that Alex never let him have his way. Rian had found himself hopelessly enamored, listening to Jack rant about music and the merits of not teaching Romeo and Juliet to bored teens when Shakespeare has better plays. Rian had been so caught up in what Jack was saying, he hadn’t even noticed brunch had ended until Alex kicked them both out. Brunch had led to late lunch, led to dinner, led to Rian taking Jack for ice cream just so he didn’t have to leave, giving Jack his number and waiting for a phone call. Rian doesn’t think there’s ever been a time he wasn’t enamored by Jack, hopelessly in love with him from the moment Jack had demanded to see Rian’s Blink-182 tattoo.

“What do you mean someone who ‘look like me’?”

“Handsome, masculine, rugged. You’re a tattoo artist and you work out and you’re like the kind of guy I wanted to be when I was a teen except I’m not. I’m me and there’s nothing wrong with me, but like compared to you. I’m the dorky English teacher. I’m all tall and lanky and stuff.”

“I love dorky English teacher Jack.”

“I know you do. You look at me with such love and adoration it hurts sometimes. The first time you told me you loved me I went home and cried,” Jack says. He’s sitting up now, arms draped over Rian’s shoulders, tears in his eyes. Rian, reaches up, brushing them away.

“You did what?” Rian asks, quiet.

“I cried. I cried because you were everything teenage Jack dreamed of and couldn’t have. You loved me and loved me and you didn’t care that my voice cracked or about the scars or about anything else that made me feel self-conscious at the time because it was new and fresh. The first time you called me your boyfriend I didn’t know what to do. I felt so special and loved. You just loved me and it felt so real. And I was 25 and for the first time, I could picture myself at 30, at 40, at 50 because I could picture my life, I could picture sharing my life with you. And now I’m 32 and I want to tell teenage Jack that it’s worth it, all the waiting is worth it because you’re here. You’re here and I love you so much Ri,” Jack says. He’s crying now, eyes red, nose red. Rian pulls him into a hug, realizes he’s crying too.

“Well, I love you. You’re a hurricane and I never expected to fall in love the way I did with you, but god did I. I was so worried that first day if I let you go home, if I let you leave, you’d forget all about me. Except you kept calling me and texting me and then you practically moved into my house and I didn’t want to let you go. We have a home, a life, a dog. It’s everything I pictured when I was 17 and realized I liked guys too.”

“Guess we’re just stuck together,” Jack says, sniffling. Rian laughs, a little wet, pulling Jack into a hug.

“Guess we are.”

“Think Ash will let you leave early? I wanna go home now and I don’t wanna wait for you.”

“Yeah. I don’t have any more appointments and I can take the sketches home.”

“Good. I think we deserve some pizza and white claws,” Jack says, solemnly. He’s smiling though and Rian’s hopelessly in love with him.

It isn’t till the drive home, which Rian barely managed to get to because Jack kept kissing him against his car, refusing to just let Rian get in the car and drive home so they could have dinner and cuddle, that Rian wonders what’s stopping him from making this permanent. They live together, they have a dog, Jack’s all but told Rian he sees them as forever and Rian feels the same way. What’s stopping Rian from just proposing?

He takes the thought with him for the next week, searching for rings on his off time, trying to get other people’s opinions on what Jack might like until Rian finally decides on a simple black band for the ring. He ends up in the flower shop the next week, deciding that Jack deserves nice flowers for a proposal.

Luke is at the counter, fixing up a floral arrangement when Rian comes in. He looks up, surprised, blushing a little. Rian’s not dumb, he knows Luke has a crush on him. He also knows Luke has a crush on Jack and a major crush on Ashton, so he’s pretty sure Luke is just falling for anyone he thinks is cute until Ashton finally kisses him.

“Rian, hi! What brings you in? More flowers for the shop?”

“Flowers for Jack. I want to propose and I thought the sweetest man deserved some flowers to go with it.”

Luke looks at Rian in awe, lips parted in an “o.”

“You’re going to propose?” Luke whispers. Rian furrows his brow, confused at Luke’s surprise, until he remembers that Luke’s trans too. Luke’s trans and he’s probably having the same reaction Jack did the first time he and Rian went to pride and Jack saw other people like them together, the idea that they weren’t alone. It softens Rian’s heart even more. He gets the older brother affection Jack has for Luke and Michael, the need to care for them. It’s hard not to when Luke’s staring at him, all wide blue eyes and open wonder.

“Yeah. Figured my boyfriend of seven years deserves to be my husband forever. Have some roses for it?” Rian says. Luke beams, hurrying around the counter, pulling out red roses to make a bouquet, bouncing with excitement. It’s infectious, making Rian even more excited to propose to Jack, seeing how excited Luke is, smiling the whole time. Ashton let him out of work early too, so he could be home to make dinner with Jack when he gets back from school.

Rian’s anxious the whole drive home, flowers in the passenger seat, tapping his hands nervously on the steering wheel. What if he’s overthinking this whole thing? What if he’s fucking up the best thing in his life by proposing? What if all the nice words Jack said don’t mean marriage, they just mean staying together? What if Rian’s about to make the stupidest decision of his life?

Jack’s car is already in the driveway when Rian gets back. He wasn’t expecting Jack to beat him home. It makes the pit in his stomach open wider, makes him even more anxious. He drops his keys five times before he finally manages to get them into the lock and open the door.

“Ri?” Jack calls when Rian’s through the door. Camden comes sprinting through the house, barking excitedly at Rian until he picks him up, holding him in one arm while trying to keep the roses out of the way.

“Yeah. You’re home early.”

“Took the rest of my shit home. Why the fuck should I grade bad essays on The Odyssey at my desk when I can grade them on our couch while you yell at Jeopardy.”

“I don’t yell at Jeopardy,” Rian says, offended.

“Yes you do babe,” Jack says. Rian drops his bag by the front of the kitchen, placing the flowers on the counter and Cam on the floor. Jack’s back is turned to him, watching the chicken quesadillas he’s making in the pan intensely. Rian sneaks up behind him, wrapping his arms around Jack’s waist and running his hands over Jack’s hip bones, resting his chin on Jack’s shoulder. Jack sighs, leaning back into the touch.

“Hi,” Rian says softly, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder.

“Hi,” Jack says, turning his head to get a kiss from Rian. He glances over Rian’s shoulder, perking up when he notices the flowers on the counter.

“You bought flowers?”

“I did.”

“For your other lover?” Jack teases, abandoning the pan to turn around in Rian’s arms, kiss him softly. Rian smiles, tugging Jack closer, kissing his lips, his neck. Jack laughs, squirming in his arms.

“You can’t kiss me like that while I’m cooking. We’ll start a fire,” Jack says. Rian rolls his eyes, letting Jack play with his hair.

“I missed you,” Rian says softly. Jack snorts.

“It was only 8 hours babe,” he teases.

“You didn’t text me today. I’m used to you texting me.”

“The teens were being wild today. I don’t remember this much drama when I was their age,” Jack says. Rian rolls his eyes, pulls Jack in for a hug.

Jack eventually wiggles from Rian’s hold, turning back to the stove. Camden’s flopped down next to them, sighing heavily. Rian swallows, hand in his pocket fingering the ring box.

“Hey Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you marry me?” Rian asks, sinking to one knee, pulling the box out.

“Very funny Ri,” Jack says, turning to face him. Whatever else he was going to say dies as he takes in the sight of Rian on the floor.

“Will you marry me?”

“Holy shit,” Jack breathes out.

“I’m not the English teacher, but I have a whole speech planned. You know, the moment I met you, I knew. I saw you standing in the corner of Alex’s living room, yelling at him to pick better music and I knew. I wanted to commit everything to memory because that was the memory I wanted to tell everyone at our wedding. I’ve known since the minute you demanded to see my tattoo in front of everyone and practically stripped me shirtless that I wanted to marry you. You’re it for me Jack. When I was 17 and scared shitless at the idea that I liked men, I didn’t know what to do. I never felt confident or comfortable enough to come out, to be myself, to picture myself with someone like you. And then I met you and it’s all I could picture. You made me comfortable with myself, happy with myself. Your endless love and support and just being reminds me everyday how lucky I am to know you, to have met you, to have you love me. You’ve never given a shit about my depression or the way I am or my anxiety. You just remind me of brighter days, of the idea that I’m allowed to have this, to have your love. I can’t picture my life without you, without loving you. I want forever. So, will you marry me?” Rian asks.

“Yes, what the fuck yes! Of course I’ll fucking...come here!” Jack shouts, dragging Rian up to him. He pulls Rian in for a kiss, bumped noses and teeth because they’re too excited to kiss properly. Jack leans back, tears running down his cheeks, smiling widely.

“I was worried for a minute,” Rian jokes, pulling the ring from the box and sliding it onto Jack’s finger. Jack holds his hand out admiring it.

“Like I would say no. Maybe all the coffee has fired your brain cells,” Jack teases. He turns to Rian, kissing him again, softer this time.

“You never know.”

“Hell would freeze over before I said no to marrying you. You’re the love of my life,” he says, quietly. Rian smiles, pressing another kiss to his lips.

“Hey, is something burning?” Rian asks after a few moments, when he realizes he smells smoke.

“Oh shit!” Jack yells, turning frantically to fix the burning quesadillas, fanning the smoke to stop it from setting off the smoke detector. Rian laughs, helpless in the face of Jack’s panic, Camden’s distressed barking. It’s perfect, it’s everything Rian’s ever wanted in life. It’s everything he’s wanted since he met Jack at Alex’s brunch. It’s the life he’s always wanted.

#all time low #dawkat #rian dawson #jack barakat #whom the fuck am i writing atl fic #we'll return to our 5sos bullshit momentarily #for now you can all have #trans jack barakat #soft boyfriends in love #camden the puppy #a proposal who's surprised not me #curating trans 5sos and atl fic is my thing now #i blame rian's thirst trap and the way jack looks for this fic #i fell down a rabbit hole who am ii #my writing #self harm mention #body image mention

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shianhygge-imagines · 4 years ago

Text

Sundown 勿忘草 [Reno/Reader]{Final Fantasy VII} Episode 2

AN: Here’s the next part of Sundown Wasurenagusa! I’m sorry that I’ve been slow on posting any new story material! I had a bit of a writers’ block, and I’m still trying to work through it!

I had intended for this to be much longer, but I felt like this part was a good length to post. The first part of this ‘episode’ is going to be formatted weird because I can’t get Tumblr to format a text conversation in the way that I want.

If you like the content I create, please consider donating to my Ko-fi! Please help me feed my tea addiction!

|Masterlist Link|

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 12

Reno {07:10}

[Good morning, sleeping beauty]

Me {08:30}

[Morning]

[Do you not need sleep?]

[You probably went to bed late last night]

[And while it truly does make my day to hear from you]

[Why? It’s so early ;.;]

Reno {08:40}

[Can you blame a guy for being eager to talk to you?]

[Lol, Sorry. I didn’t disturb you, did I?]

Me {08:59}

[>///<]

[No, you’re good. I gotta get up to get ready anyways.]

[Flatterer]

Reno {09:34}

[I mean, can you blame me? ;) ]

[So, I was thinking about taking you on a date outside of Midgar, but I realized that I should probably get your opinion on it first]

Me {10:01}

[I mean, that depends? How early do I have to get up on my day off? And how long will it take to get there?]

Reno {10:05}

[Um… well, it’s getting pretty chilly in Midgar, so I was thinking about taking you to Costa del Sol… beach date :P]

Me {10:30}

[…]

[Costa del Sol is pretty far, Reno…]

Reno {10:31}

[And?]

[I’ve got a way]

[Don’t sweat the details]

Me {10:32}

[You’re taking a company helicopter, aren’t you -.-]

Reno {10:33}

[Ack! You’ve figured out my master plan!]

Me {10:34}

[Are Turks even allowed to take company assets out for joy rides?]

Reno {10:35}

[ TT^TT I told you not to sweat the details!]

Me {10:40}

[I just don’t want you to get into any trouble.]

Reno {10:50}

[Awww, don’t worry about me.]

[You have a party to attend later, so do me a favor and have fun, okay?]

Me {11:03}

[That reminds me…]

Reno {11:05}

[??]

Me {11:11}

[bluedress.jpg sent]

(The image is of you in a sapphire blue dress, the sleeves long and neck high. The dress itself ends just below your knees)

[This dress?]

[reddress.jpg sent]

(The second image is of you in a backless ruby dress that ends just above the knee. There are no sleeves to this dress despite the fact that it has a high neck)

[Or this dress?]

Reno {11:13}

[…]

[Y/N]

Me {11:15}

[Reno]

[???]

Me {12:01}

[If I don’t look good in either of them, just be honest ;.;]

Reno {13:05}

[Gah! Sorry, I got pulled away for something]

[The red one. For sure]

Me {13:06}

[Just because red’s your color… >.>]

[I hope you’re okay, Reno ;.;]

Reno {13:15}

[Hey, first of all, remember what I said about red being your color?]

[I don’t lie, k?]

[But also, yeah. Also because it’s my color, you should wear it ;)]

[Do you have a sixth sense or something?]

[image.jpg]

(Opening up the image file gifts you with a selfie of Reno, looking minorly roughed up and being supported by an infrantryman. He looks like he’s by the old church that Aerith likes to visit. Despite needing to be supported by the infantryman, the red headed Turk’s winking and holding up a peace sign)

[Just a few minor bruises ;P I’ll be fine]

[Unless….]

[You want to kiss me better? ;)]

Me {13:30}

[… Well. I’m sorry for worrying (¬_¬) ]

Reno {13:45}

[Joking, joking! :D]

[All patched up]

Reno {14:07}

[Y/N?]

(´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)

[I’m sorry.]

[Please talk to meeeeeee]

Me {14:00}

[image.jpg]

(It’s a picture of you in the red dress. Your hair is done up with an attractive amount of make up. You’re wearing a sensible set of black flats.)

[The party starts in an hour, so I might be answering my phone too often.]

[And Costa del Sol sounds perfect for tomorrow ;) I’ve got my outfit all picked out]

Reno {14:15}

[Uh, yeah, that’s gonna be your new contact photo]

[I’m picking you up earlier than we agreed so that we can have more time to relax in the sun]

[Duty calls. Have fun tonight, okay?]

Me {14:20}

[And what? My contact photo for you is going to be this?]

[screenshot.jpg]

(It’s a screenshot of your mobile phone screen. There’s an edit with a red arrow pointing directly at the photo icon for Reno’s contact…it’s the photo that he sent earlier except you’ve photoshopped cartoon ‘uwu’ eyes and added pink anime blush to his cheeks)

[And don’t worry, I’ll probably have enough fun for the both of us.]

[We’ll have fun tomorrow, be safe, okay?]

Reno {14:30}

[I’ll try ;) But if not, I’ll have you to take care of me.]

[Also? That picture?]

[P.E.R.F.E.C.T]

Me {18:30}

[Hope you’re safe!]

[Message me after work to let me know you’re okay!]

[image-2.jpg]

(It’s a group photo of you and your friends in silly poses)

Me {19:21}

[image-3.jpg]

(It’s a close up shot of a delicious plate of food)

[I should have brought you with me ;.;]

|You called Reno| 20:58

[Unable to leave voicemail]

December 13 - 08:21

The morning after the confrontation with AVALANCHE at the Sector 7 Pillar, one would expect the medical bay in Shinra HQ to be jam packed full of patients. There should have been a horde of doctors and nurses, running around to treat the injured infantryman and civilian survivors. But there were only two individuals in the med bay, Reno and Rude. When the plate fell, only a handful of infantryman were able to escape the chaos. Many were left behind to fend for themselves.

Despite surviving a helicopter crash and the brawl with Tifa, Barret, and Cloud, Rude only sustained a few bruises and minor bone fractures. He had been assigned bedrest after being treated by the doctors, but the weight of what he and his partner had been tasked to do twelve hours ago felt like an overwhelming burden. Needing something to keep his mind occupied, the taller of the iconic Turk duo simply engrossed himself in a novel that Elena had brought over during her visit.

On the bed beside Rude’s, Reno groaned in pain as he sat up, eyes still not open and alert as he raised a hand to press against his pounding head. “Gah, what the hell.” Reno’s face stung at the cheeks when his face scrunched up at the pain that seemed to come from every part of him. Even the act of sitting up proved too painful due to his newly broken ribs.

Rude watched his partner sink back into the sheets from his own medical bed, sunglasses on as was usual of him. He wondered how long it would take Reno to realize that it had been nearly twelve hours since they had dropped the plate. He also wondered when his sassy partner in crime would realize that he had a date this morning. Of course, Rude didn’t think you’d get angry at Reno for missing a date when he was hospitalized, but the taller of the iconic Turk pair knew that Reno would never forgive himself for skipping out on you.

While Rude watched, Reno allowed his body to collapse back into bed, an exhausted and pained groan escaping his lips as he want, arms flopping onto the bed as he fought to remember what had happened to land him in such a pitiful state.

Oh yeah…Rude and I went to Sector 7’s plate… and we fought blondie’s group of self righteous freedom fighters… and then…I blacked out. Cracking both eyes open, Reno furrowed his brows and turned his head to examine his surroundings. Med bay back at HQ… The red head swiveled in place to stare at Rude, “The mission….” He trailed off with a questioning tone.

His partner merely grunted, “We finished it and escaped.” Lacking in detail, but still straight to the point.

Sighing in relief that his work track record wouldn’t have a stain on it, Reno flopped back down, “Whooo…” The red head cheered sarcastically, pumping a fist without any energy or cheer behind it. Gah, and I promised Y/N that I’d be safe… Reno’s eyes snapped open and he bolted to a seating position with an alarmed cry, “Crap! Y/N! What time is it?” Shit, I gotta message her to let her know that I’m going to be running late! The Turk second in command thought as he pat down his person for his cell phone.

When he couldn’t find it, Reno turned to his partner, who gestured towards the bedside table. “It was damaged during our fight with AVALANCHE, but it should still be working.”

Not paying any attention to the fact that he was now bleeding through the bandages wrapped around his abdomen, Reno grinned, “Whooo boy! Partner, you’re a life saver!”

The sheer amount of relief within Reno voice made Rude stop and stare at his partner. Hmm… maybe Reno’s serious about her after all.

Meanwhile, Reno quickly unlocked his phone screen, ignoring the fact that the glass display seemed shattered beyond repair. When he pulled up the chat room that he shared with Y/N, Reno cursed, “Five missed messages and one missed call.” Quickly reading through the text messages, and smiling at how much fun you were having at the party, Reno tapped out a quick message in reply to you before listening to the voicemail that you had left.

Yesterday

Y/N {19:21}

[image-3.jpg]

(Reno’s mouth watered at the sight of the food in the picture)

[I should have brought you with me ;.;]

|Missed call from Y/N| 20:58

[Click to listen to voicemail]

Today - December 13

Me {08:43}

[Gah, sorry Y/N, I may have bit off more than I could chew yesterday.]

[I just woke up in the med bay at HQ]

[I’m going to be a little late picking you up]

[And I’m a little roughed up]

[But nothing is stopping me from taking you on our date!]

[See you in an hour?]

When Reno lifted his damaged cell phone to listen to the voicemail that you had left him, the only sound that reached his ears was an error notification that the voice recording app had failed. “I’m sorry, but the voicemail recording that you wish to listen to failed to load properly. Please quite all applications before trying again. If the problem still persists, please contact Shinra Mobile’s technical support service to resolve this issue.” The phone recording informed Reno, pleasantly.

Knowing from experience that getting through to technical support at the current hour was next to impossible, Reno merely tapped out another message.

Me {08:47}

[Hey, the voicemail that you sent to me didn’t go through.]

[What was it about?]

Satisfied with the messages that he’d sent out, Reno shifted to get out of bed, an excited grin on his lips. “Welp! Time to get going! Got a wonderful day off with a gorgeous gal!”

Sighing, Rude lowered the novel to look in his partner’s direction. “Your date with Y/N?” When Reno only gave a sassy shrug in reply, Rude shook his head, “Just remember, you’re still injured.”

“Will do, partner!” Reno saluted the older man before dashing out of the med bay, dodging the nurses swiftly as he made his way to the elevators, itching to get back to the Turk dorms to change into something that would help him blend into the slum crowds of Sector 5. On his way to his room, the red headed Turk would raise his phone to check for any new messages, lowering it in disappointment every time there was no response.

“That’s weird, normally she responds by now.” Reno mused, sending out another quick text once he’d changed into dark jeans, a red hoodie, and a dark beige trucker jacket.

Me {09:12}

[I’m on my way to your place now.]

[Are you awake?]

Around twenty minutes later, on the helicopter ride down to the Sector 5 slums, Reno furrowed his brows and bit the inside of his lip when you didn’t respond again.

Me {09:32}

[Y/N?]

[Please answer.]

[I’m on a helicopter down now]

[Message back. I’m getting worried.]

When there is still no response, Reno taps on your contact and brings the phone up to his ear, trying to call you.

“Hey, this is Y/N. I’m probably away from the phone right now, so leave a message, and I’ll call you back as soon as possible.”

Straight to voicemail.

Something wasn’t right, and Reno could feel it in his bones.

When the helicopter started to land in the Shinra barracks, Reno didn’t even wait for the helicopter to fully land before jumping out of the aerial vehicle, landing solidly before taking off in a sprint towards your apartment.

She’s not answer any of the text messages… Did she lose her phone last night? Did she accidentally break it?… Did she find out what I did yesterday? Is she ignoring me?

The worries and thoughts that raced through Reno’s mind became more and more self-depricating as he neared entered the main town area and brushed past the crowds of people gathered in the streets. I know I said it was too late to grow a conscious, but damn it, please don’t let this be the reason she decides that she doesn’t want me around.

All but flying up the metal steps to your apartment, Reno starts to bang on your front door, calling your name in the meanwhile. “Y/N!” Bang bang bang “It’s Reno!” Bang bang bang “You weren’t answering your phone. Are you ready to go?” It took another few minutes of knocking before Reno head a door open below and slow footsteps ascend the metal stairwell.

Turning and expecting to see you standing there, Reno’s shoulders visibly slumped when he came face to face with a tiny old lady. “Oh, uh. Sorry for causing a disturbance.”

“Are you looking for Y/N, young man?” The old woman inquired, tilting her head to look up at Reno through friendly old eyes.

Feeling as if he was being judged by the elderly woman, Reno stood ramrod straight and nodded, clearing his throat, “Uh, yeah. We had plans for today.”

The old woman nodded sagely, “I see, I see. Ah, to be young again. I’m sorry to disappoint you, young man, but Y/N hasn’t been home since yesterday afternoon. I think she’s still at her friend’s home.”

The first traces of alarm flashed through Reno’s head, and suddenly his Turk persona was back, “Do you happen to know where her friend lives, ma’am?”

The old woman shook her head, “I only know that dear Selene doesn’t live in Sector 5. I’m sorry, young man.”

Suddenly jittery, Reno only nods and descends the metal staircase again, “Thanks for the help. I should get going.”

Reno doesn’t hear the old woman’s reply because he’s sprinting back towards the Shinra barracks, ears ringing and vision narrowed as he contacts a friend in Shinra’s tech department for help tracking down your cell phone’s location and retrieving the voicemail you’d left him. And while his friend works on it, Reno decided to change into a clean set of his uniform, mind suddenly kicked into overdrive as he tries to recall where you said your friend’s party was.

Gah, Reno… you pay attention to everything else she says, but you can’t figure out where her friend Selene lives? Some Turk you are! Reno scolds himself as he paces back and forth in Y/N’s office, somehow trying to find comfort in familiar surroundings. Damnit, think! What has she mentioned in the past about her friends. I only remember her talking about living in Sector 7 for a whi- Reno pauses in his steps as dread begins to pool in his stomach. “No.” He doesn’t want to entertain the possibility that you had gone to a party at your childhood sector the same night that he was tasked with dropping the plate on top of hundreds. But the more that Reno thinks about it, the more likely the possibility is, and he sinks to his knees in the middle of your office, eyes wide with horror and denial. “No… I refuse to believe it. Gotta wait for-”

His phone chimes with a notification.

Pulling out his phone as fast as possible without fumbling the already hazardously damaged device, Reno unlocks the screen, only to see that a voice file had been sent to him along with tracking coordinates.

Clicking on the voicemail and tracker, Reno’s frown deepens and his face pales as he stares at the map of Sector 7 Slums with a red dot in the center of it, the sounds of your final message to him playing in the background.

No.

The voice recording loops until Reno regains his bearings, body shaking and eyes burning as his ears pick up the sounds of explosions in the background, of your sobs as you fought to leave a last message for the man who had thoughtlessly killed you, and of your fear and acceptance that you wouldn’t live past that moment. The phone slips from his hands and clatters to the floor as Reno’s fingers go slack. “No… I didn’t… Y/N…” A strangled sob escapes Reno’s lips as he raises a hand to grip onto his hair, trying to maintain his composure, “I didn’t mean to… If I’d known, I would have…” The Turk second in command paused and hunched in on himself, not caring if anyone could see him through the glass walls of your office.

M-maybe she left her phone behind when she ran? But… if she’s not there, then where would she have gone if not home?

There weren’t any excuses or any other reason he could come up with. Reno knew that. If he had known beforehand that you would be in Sector 7 Slums, he would have warned you, but you would have tried to evacuate as many people as possible from that sector, and AVALANCHE might have managed to leave, therefore ending in a failed mission. He would have done everything he could to make sure you stayed away from Sector 7, but in the end, he’d still go through with the mission.

“I killed her.” Reno sobbed in realization, biting his bottom lip so hard that he tasted copper, “Just like I killed all those people.” Shaking his head, inconsolable, Reno could only mourn quietly. “I’m just the worst. This is karma for all the shit things I did in life, isn’t it?”

Eyes dulled and slightly puffy, Reno hastily wiped at his face and sat down with his back against your desk, his phone ringing with notifications as Tseng and Rude sent him requests for ‘status’ updates. And the Turk second in command ignored his colleagues, eyes staring into nothingness as he wreaked his brain for what to do next.

I really was looking forward to the date. Reno’s thoughts trailed off, It’s sappy as hell, but I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend. Tseng said that relationships for Turks never ended well, citing Veld as an example, but… gah! This is the worst situation for Tseng to be right!

It was only the early afternoon… maybe he could start a search party for survivors… it was probably too late, but Reno knew that he had to do something to look for you. With renewed purpose, Reno got to his feet and marched out of your office, blue eyes burning with fiery determination as he hung onto the faint hope that you might have survived.

December 13 - 12:13

You groaned in pain and shifted your body, eyes cracking open to be met with blinding industrial lights. The pain from the glaring lights startled you into closing your eyes again, turning until your body was facing away from them. For a moment, you wondered why you were laying on some sort of weird metallic floor instead of your soft bed, and then the memories of a falling sky sent your eyes flying back open as you took in your surroundings.

The floor was indeed cold and metallic because it looked as if you’d woken up in a maintenance passage. Despite most maintenance passages usually being dimly lit, the one you found yourself lying in was lit from both of the walls. The ceiling above your face had a hole in it, though it was covered with metal and concrete chunks. You assumed, as you clambered to your feet, that you’d fallen through that hole and rolled a few feet away due to the pile of rubble directly beneath the hole. Wincing slightly, you poked and prodded your person for bruises, broken bones, or fractures. Slightly satisfied with just a few small skin lesions, bruises, and maybe a fractured rib, you patted yourself down for your mobile phone, hoping to call for help. Frowning, you found that you did not have your cell phone on you, nor was it anywhere on the floor near you.

Since you hadn’t expected to live through a plate falling on top of you, you could only look on the bright side of things, turning to walk down the metal tunnel with determination set on your face. I didn’t almost die from a plate falling just to give up in an empty tunnel. Plus, a fond smile appeared on your face, I have a date waiting for me when I get back topside.

It seemed pretty simple to you. You’d falling who knows how far down, but you knew for sure that the way out was up. So the only thing to do was to keep walking until you found a passage up. Easy peasy.

December 13 - 15:35

There’s a fierce snarl on Reno’s face as he stands by several parked helicopters. All around him, emergency responders and Shinra infantrymen scrambled to load up supplies and equipment. The dark look on the normally sassy, easy-going Turk’s face seemed like a literal beacon for anyone not bearing good news to stay the away. Though, if some of the troops were to be honest, Reno had very good reason to be irate. The Turk second in command had called in an emergency rescue operation for survivors trapped among the plate wreckage nearly three and a half hours ago, and they were only just beginning to start the rescue operation.

After Tseng, the Turk commander, had authorized the mission to rescue anyone buried under the rubble, the mission had quickly been side-tracked by Shinra executives Scarlet and Heideggar. Scarlet had protested against the operation simply because of the notion that dogs living in the slums were of no use to Shinra, and therefore, the mission was a waste of resources. Heideggar, meanwhile, had agreed that while in times of disaster, Shinra’s army bore the responsibility of launching operations to rescue civilians affected, the members of AVALANCHE were widely unknown and could easily disguise themselves as regular civilians.

It took nearly two hours of careful negotiations and subtle ego inflating by Tseng and Reeve, before both executives agreed to support the relief effort. Viewing it as a strategic move to improve public opinion of the Shinra Company, President Shinra gave little to no resistance when Tseng forwarded the mission brief to be sanctioned.

Now, an hour after the mission was sanctioned, Reno felt the beginnings of a headache forming as he directed the flow of supplies to each helicopter before making sure that there were rotations of supplies and emergency responders that would journey to and from the wreckage of Sector 7 once he landed with the first round of helicopters.

When he had deemed all in good order to head out, Reno sighed and hopped into the helicopter cockpit, buckling himself in to the pilot’s seat. Plopping the headset on while he waited for the rest of the crew to load up into the helicopter, Reno busied himself with flipping switches to make sure that pre-flight and the ride down to Sector 7 would be as smooth as possible. When his co-pilot buckled himself in and gave Reno the thumbs up, the red headed Turk spoke as clearly and seriously as he could into the mic. “Alright guys and gals in all active units, hope you’re all buckled up with headsets on because I sure as hell will not be repeating this briefing.” After a brief pause, Reno continued to speak while directing the helicopter off the platform. “You all probably heard about what happened yesterday. The official reports from HQ state that AVALANCHE launched an attack to compromise Sector 7’s plate pillar. Despite all efforts directed to stop the terrorist attack, the plate still fell. Our job is to go down to the disaster zone to provide relief to all affected civilians. We will also be launching search and rescue operations for survivors.” Reno paused once more as helicopter gained enough air to safely fly out of the landing zone. “I’m gonna be real with you all. Someone important to me was in Sector 7’s Slums when the plate fell and I’m going to try my damnest to look for her. So if any of you fuck this up… not gonna lie, I’m gonna be pissed.” Nobody replied to Reno’s admittance… not that he really expected much of a reply after he dropped that bomb on them. Having enough of the silence, Reno exhaled, “Alright… good talk.”

December 13 - 16:03

It wasn’t easy peasy. Definitely fucking not.

The chrome walkways and exposed piping-lined maintenance passage that you had fallen into hadn’t been a simple few meters under the surface as you thought. No. It’s was more like several meters down with a layer of minor blocked off passageways right above. And, as if that weren’t terrible already? The maze of pathways that made up the layer above seemed to take joy in bringing you up a level, just to drop you back down a level because some asshole decided to seal off the passages at various points.

Your eye twitched in annoyance when you walked down a metal walkway only to be face to face with another fenced off passage lined with reinforced plating. To your surprise, you could see a man stumble around the corner of the opposite side. When you saw one another, your eyes widened. “Holy shit!” The man gasped, stumbling forward with a noticeable limp and sliced up arm. “I didn’t think there’d be another person down here!”

“This place is like a maze, so I’m not surprised that any survivors had yet to meet up. A-are… are you okay?” The blood leaking from the deep scratches in his left arm seemed to ooze a poisonous purple color.

The stranger bit his bottom lip as he hastily hid his injury, “Yeah… I’ll be fine. Listen, girl, you should watch out while down here. I think the rumors about the underground lab were true after all. There are monsters running around everywhere.” Your expression must have been one of utter dismay and despair because the man coughed and reached into his pocket to roll two materia under the fence. “Uh. Shit. Well, it looks like you could use these then. It’s a Cura and a Fira. Hopefully you won’t need it, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Anyways, I hope you make it out of here, girl. I gotta keep looking for other AVALANCHE survivors.”

When the man made to jog away, you called out to him, “Wait! You said that you’re looking for AVALANCHE members? Are you one of them? Do you know what happened?” You pressed yourself against the fence in order to see the stranger from around the corner.

The stranger turned around to stare at you with a grim expression. “Whatever you’re thinking, AVALANCHE didn’t cause this, okay? We were framed by Shinra.” At your confused expression, the man scoffed, “C’mon, you really think that Shinra was going to let civilians protest and riot against them? They couldn’t figure out who was a member and who wasn’t, so they figured they’d drop the entire plate on top of us to get rid of us all.”

“But that’s such a drastic move!” You protested, wanting to believe that your employers wouldn’t have such blatant disregard for human life. “They wouldn’t just sacrifice thousands to eliminate AVALANCHE!”

“Believe what you want, girl. But the reality is that my friends and I all went to the pillar to stop Shinra from dropping the plate, and it dropped anyways because two Turks were sent to finish the job.” The stranger didn’t allow you to retort as he limped away. Not that you would have responded anyways with how the stranger had said that two Turks had arrived to help ensure that the Sector 7 plate dropped.

Pulling away from the fence, you knelt down to pick up the two orbs of materia, the color of your skin taking on a sickly pale pallor. Two Turks were sent to the pillar to drop the plate on top of all of us. Your mind instantly supplied the first Turk pair that you could think of and you felt like you were going to dry heave. I don’t know Rude too well, but from what I know, he and Reno wouldn’t do something so horrendous. Surely, there must have been another pair of Turks who were sent to do it. But you did work in a different department as them, how did you know that there were more members of the Turks? And with Reno’s position within the group… He could have known what was happening…

You told Reno that you would be hanging out with your best friend… that you guys were having a party. He’s smart enough to deduce that your friends still lived in Sector 7… Did he forget? Or… Your stomach churned violently as you sank to your knees on the cold metal walkway. Did Reno just decide he didn’t care if I survived or not?

The edge of your vision burned with tears threatening to spill down your cheeks. A simple blink sent them trailing down your cheeks as you stood upon shaky legs. “Can’t worry about that now.” You muttered, eyes filled with determination as you gathered the excess fabric of your dress to gird up your loins. “I need to find a way out of here. The tunnels might not be able to hold for long.”

Lifting your arm, you pressed one of the materia into your forearm, like you’d seen a few SOLDIERs do before, marveling at how the orb of power sank into the flesh of your arm. Smiling at how seamless it was to merge flesh with Materia, you pressed the other faintly glowing orb into your other forearm, concentrating for a bit before casting Cura upon yourself.

Newly rejuvenated, you back tracked through the metal corridor to find the ladder leading down. “Welp, there’s no time like the present,” you mumbled to yourself as you descended further into the tunnels below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#shian imagines #final fantasy vii #Final Fantasy 7 #ffvii #ffviir #final fantasy vii remake #ffvii:remake #reno #reno x reader #final fantasy vii reno

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theonlinemuse · 5 years ago

Text

So @lesbianmaxevans and I have been discussing how there’s very little backstory for Dani Powell on the show and we decided to contribute to the tags by coming up with our own headcanons for her:

Dani is a nickname obviously, but instead of Danielle or Danika, it’s short for Danys, a unisex Haitian Creole name. She only gets called Danys if she’s in trouble

Malcolm giggles whenever that happens and Dani threatens to put her cold hands on him if he tries calling her that

Malcolm learned her middle name the same day he met her middle sister, New York County Court Judge Naomie Powell, who barged into the precinct after an incident where Dani got hurt and went, “Danys Eliana Powell, if you’re going to give our family a heart attack, at least pick up your phone!”

Her dad is Haitian (I still say that episode 5 should’ve delved into this with Dani and her backstory) and her mom is Jewish. Dani and her sisters were all raised Jewish

Dani doesn’t regularly go the synagogue, but it’s tradition for the Powells to go to services during major holidays

Dani and JT explaining Jewish holidays to everyone

Powell wasn’t her dad’s original last name. Her dad and grandma came to New York from Port au Prince in the late 70s and their original last name was Poirot. Grandma Eliana kept the name, but her dad changed it to Powell when he started university

She’s the youngest of three girls in the family. Her oldest sister Mona is played by Meta Golding while middle sister Naomie is played by Sydney Tamiia Poitier

Naomie was the sister who suffered from night terrors after getting into a bad car accident as a teenager and Mona and Dani would often take turns looking after her. This is how Dani knew how to deal with Malcolm

Dani is bisexual. She and Edrisa went on a date before deciding to be friends and Edrisa likes to joke about them being exes much to Malcolm’s confusion

“When did you even break up?” “We didn’t, technically. We just went go karting and had lunch at Zabar’s before we realized Dani was wayyyy too much like an aloof little sister to me.”

And this is totally a crack headcanon, but after seeing Jurnee Smollett-Bell playing Black Canary in Birds of Prey, Dani and Dinah Lance are now cousins. Their moms, Zipporah and Dinah Senior were sisters

Dani and Dinah may be Jewish, but they don’t keep kosher all the time. They don’t eat pork, but they’re absolutely weak against shellfish, much to their moms’ dismay

Chaotic bi Dinah and distinguished bi Dani

Imagine Dani going undercover in Dinah’s band and them singing the Birds of Prey song from Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Dani can rock the punk rock aesthetic. Dinah makes her wear fishnet stockings, red lipstick, a corset over a dark lace shirt, and gold metallic temp tattoos. Malcolm has a heart attack

And then Dani starts singing and he’s a goner because he’s only ever hear her sing old songs from the 30s to 50s and there’s something powerful and sensual about her singing punk rock music. He’s not ready for it

JT teases the hell out of him, but he soon shuts up when Dani and Dinah bring Tally into the mix. Edrisa records the whole thing, as well as Malcolm and JT’s expressions. Gil ends up using it to keep Malcolm and JT from doing anything too outrageous

Grandma Eliana would sing old jazz and méringue songs to Dani and her sisters when they were little so Dani ended up with the habit of singing them absently whenever she’s focused on a task, usually when she’s doing her hair

Dani grew up listening to songs from the 30s, 40s, and 50s due to grandma Eliana always playing her extensive vinyl collection. She didn’t really get to listen to modern music until she was in middle school

In addition to jazz and swing, Dani’s surprisingly good at disco. It didn’t help that her dad often played Boney M and Earth Wind and Fire during her childhood

She used to joke that the Powell family is decades behind in their taste in music. Dani doesn’t listen to many modern songs, but she likes singing along to Yonce as well as Janelle Monae songs like Electric Lady and Sally Ride

Make Me Feel becomes Dani and Dinah’s bi anthem

Malcolm once caught her singing and he keeps trying to catch her again. He’s lucky to listen for five seconds before she kicks him out of the bathroom

Dani’s a bit of a tea expert thanks to grandma Eliana, who taught her many different ways of making tea. Other than Earl Grey, Dani’s favourites include grandma Eliana’s ginger tea and pomegranate tea

And I’m not just saying that last one because I saw tags about a Brightwell Hades and Persephone AU

She loves tea flavoured desserts as well. She often gets a glazed Earl Grey donut for breakfast on Monday mornings when she needs a little pick me up

She changes up the glaze depending on her mood. Lavender for when she’s stressed, balsamic and pomegranate for when she’s in a good mood, blueberry for when she’s irritated or stuck on a case, brown butter for when she’s tired, and caramel with blood orange zest for when she’s ready punch a dick

In the summer, she loves Thai iced tea popsicles and matcha green tea popsicles dipped in chocolate

Dani isn’t as big of a coffee drinker as she is a tea drinker, but if she has to have coffee, it’s always a cinnamon mocha with a shot of espresso

She can cook, but because of her schedule, she mostly sticks with quick to make dishes like grilled cheese and spaghetti. She likes spicing things up though, thanks to growing up with her dad and grandma’s cooking

Every Hanukkah, Dani always gets roped into preparing the desserts with Zipporah since her dad, grandma, and oldest sister are in charge of cooking. Dani’s the first to admit that she’s not a cook, but she’s gotten good at making sweets, even if she doesn’t always have the patience for it. Eight nights a year is her limit

Malcolm as a foodie bemoans this and his trying to broaden her food choices slowly becomes a thing

The look of horror on his face when he sees her chow down on a double beef bacon mushroom burger, poutine, chocolate pecan pie and a strawberry milkshake in one sitting is priceless

And Dani loves seafood, especially shellfish which Malcolm can’t have because it gives him hives

Dani was a bit of a trouble maker in elementary school, but for good reason. She stuck gum in a classmate’s hair because she stole her favourite scratch and sniff stickers and lied about it. And she once kicked a football player where the sun don’t shine because he was being a dick to her

She dressed like Kimberly Hart from the Power Rangers movie in high school, though she did have a goth phase for about two weeks in freshman year. She was trying to channel Wednesday Addams. She was definitely a bit of a rebel style wise. Malcolm was most definitely a nerd

Ironically, Dani’s the one with poor eyesight. She only wears glasses if there’s no more contacts and they’re a chunky pair that’s similar to Edrisa’s glasses

Dani does have some secret nerdy traits, she knows how to code thanks to her sister Naomie going to coding camp for five consecutive summers

And like Kay, Dani has some artistic tendencies too. She grew up with outdoor art programs that encouraged her to paint

She’s fluent in French. She, her sisters, and their paternal cousins went to a bilingual language school thanks to grandma Eliana’s influence

Dani also did competitive figure skating as a kid. She actually made it to the Junior Grand Prix finals. She got silver

There’s recordings of her competition routines on YouTube somewhere and she actually goes undercover as a figure skater for a case. Gil acts as her coach because he actually used to skate as well

She also did some cross training in ballet as well since her godmother is a well known ballerina turned dance teacher. There are a lot of pics of Dani in her early teens of her in a leotard and tights with curls escaping her ballet bun

She has an old injury that often acts up when the weather is cold. She broke her leg pretty badly in high school due to an accident in gym class. She got knocked off the balance beam when they were doing gymnastics and had to be rushed to the hospital for surgery

She prefers horror and thrillers to action movies, but she likes period pieces too. Belle is a recent favourite of hers

Dani likes Star Trek because her dad is the biggest sci-fi nerd and it was a big part of her childhood. She also grew up as a fan of Eartha Kitt because of him after he made her watch 1960s Batman reruns with him

As a result, she wanted to name her first kid after Eartha. She eventually nicknames her first daughter Kit because of this

Dani actually introduced Tally to JT. They were roommates in college (Dani majored in social work while Tally studied chemistry) and they went to the same synagogue

Tally designated Dani as godmother after she and JT had twin girls. She was the sandeket at Noa and Miri’s simchat bat

She practices Krav Maga, she and Dinah both learned it in high school, though Dani always says that Dinah had more of a natural talent for it

Dinah also did kickboxing and gymnastics and Dani ended up tagging along her lessons. She doubled as a coach and sparring partner

She and her sisters dressed up as magical girls for Halloween when they were little and the new Charm reboot is like reliving their childhood

She wraps her hair for sleep with funny and colourful scarves that Naomie always gives as gag gifts, a tradition that started when they were preteens

She’s dyslexic, but she wasn’t diagnosed until middle school. She had difficulty memorizing things so she got into a habit of carrying a recorder with her. She also has her phone and computer set to dyslexia friendly fonts and listens to a lot of audio books

It’s also the reason she sometimes makes mistakes when she’s dancing. She sometimes mixes up left and right

She also had trouble learning French at first because of this

Dani can hold her liquor, but after four drinks, she becomes a giggly drunk who randomly speaks French and sings 90s rock songs

She also suddenly gains a sweet tooth when sober Dani doesn’t usually go for sweets. Luckily Malcolm has a few lollipops stashed away for when this happens

Dani did a brief modelling stint back in college to help out her cousin, who was in fashion school at the time. She mostly modelled for women’s wear and book covers. She even posed for a couple of historical romance covers

Malcolm may have accidentally come across it thanks to his mom. Jessica might have been a little smug when she told him to fetch the book from where she left it. The look on his face was priceless

Dani ends up recreating a cover for a case. Edrisa makes Malcolm pose with her. She takes so many pictures

Given that Malcolm has Sunshine, it’s ironic that Dani owns a cat. It’s a mischievous black cat named Shuri and she loves climbing things, especially Malcolm

#Prodigal Son #Dani Powell

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tommygrimesii · 4 years ago

Link

My father, Reverend James Grimes, has passed away. My father is not alive. My father is dead.

I need to repeat those words to myself sometimes because it still seems so unreal. My father passed away on April 21st, 2020. He was living in Gracedale Nursing Home in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. For over 10 years he suffered from early onset dementia. His decline was slow and steady, eventually leading to a sort-of plateau. For the last 5 years I haven’t been able to see so much as a glimmer of the man I knew as my father. In my mind he was gone. But he wasn’t. I could still see him. He was there physically. All the things people say about Dementia and Alzheimer’s are true. It’s a fate I would not wish on everyone. That my father got it in his 50’s seems cruel.

I always expected to receive the call that my father had passed suddenly. It was a cloud that has followed me over these past 5 years since he plateaued. As I traveled, moved and deployed with the military, I always felt on edge. I knew at any moment that I could get the news and hurry home. I expected it, yes. But, I can’t say that I was prepared, certainly not for the circumstances under which he finally left us.

I thought his nursing home was a relatively secure place to be at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. They had gone under lockdown in March. My conversations with my mother never gave me any reason to think he was in any danger. I knew that if he were to contract the illness it was likely be a death sentence for him with his compromised immune system. Then I got the call from my mother. There had been an outbreak at Gracedale and my father tested positive for COVID-19. Within a week of up and down reports, he passed in the morning hours. He was one of the almost 70 deaths in the nursing home where he resided.

With deaths now approach a quarter of a million, I know my family is not alone in our experience. Upon his passing there was no way for me to be physically close to my sisters and mother. Having recently moved to the West Coast, I wanted so badly to hop on a plane and head home. But there was nothing to be done. Nothing I could do. I put my focus instead on a memorial video for my father and spoke with my sisters about his passing and legacy. In retrospect, it was by far the hardest video I’ve ever had to create.

Still, It was cathartic. My father was an Evangelical minister. At the time of his dementia diagnosis I was finishing college. After leaving home and moving to Philadelphia I finally felt like I had the space to admit to myself that I no longer could call myself a Christian. What I thought was the end to a steady stream of doubt and investigation was really only the beginning of my deconstruction. It’s a journey I still find myself on all these years later. Every day I learn something new, have a preconception shattered or recognize ways that the culture that brought me up has affected the world and myself. I once feared what the conversations I would have with my father would be like after he learned I had decided to take my life down such a starkly different road. I wonder now if it is worse that we never got to have those conversations. Perhaps I needed that closure.

I didn’t often comment publicly on my beliefs (or lack thereof). I thought about it often though. I wrote screenplays. I talked with friends and family that had shared experiences with leaving the church. I wanted to dive deeper. A few years ago I decided it was time to start filming some sort of documentary about my family. It was time to put that film degree and combat camera experience to work.

On January 1st, 2016, my oldest sister, Carrie, called me at work. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Eventually, we learned that she had the BRCA1 mutation which is genetic. Her specific variant is one only found in Ashkenazi Jewish people. Thankfully, my sister is a complete bad ass. She kicked cancer’s ass while be a full-time mom, nursing student, Air Force Reservists and while working a full time job (seriously, I don’t know how she does it). With the news of our family having Jewish ancestry the spark was lit to begin work the documentary.

My father was adopted. We always knew that. It made it all the more difficult to know whether his dementia was something that is common in his family. We always speculated about his ethnicity. I always maintained hope that we would find out we were Jewish. Like many Evangelical families, we had a big crush on the country of Israel. But even more so than most because our father had studied in Israel for a year in college. He brought back with him a love for Jewish culture that he impressed upon us with his stories. Myself, I was always into movies. Nearly all of my idols as a child were Jewish.

So, I set forth to find my father’s biological family. I took 3 DNA tests including Ancestry DNA, 23 and Me and Family Tree DNA. Together they revealed that I had between 34-40% Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. For me that was a stunning revelation made bittersweet by the reality that my father would never get to share in the knowledge.

Over the last 3 years I have made progress on my search. I realize now that this story is as much about my search for my father’s family as it is about my understanding of myself. It’s about my family, my mother, my sisters and our childhood growing up in the Evangelical Christian subculture. It is about how we all went our own ways as adults to reconcile what faith means to each of us. I am finally gathering the courage to speak about why I left Christianity. I am now trying to find my voice and share my experience.

What I’ve learned after seeing my father’s illness and my sister’s close call is that I need to make the most of the time I have. Thankfully, over these past few months I have finally been able to take the time this venture requires. I hope to be posting more videos to my YouTube channel and also write more about my journey.

I am learning as I go. I know it doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be out there. It’s the best I can do. My hope is that this story may find others dealing with loss or deconstruction. And If it does then I think I will feel like I have accomplished my goal.

My father is gone, but his story continues.

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zerolympiustrife · 5 years ago

Note

sequel to jaunes semblance shenanigans!

Ok.

————————————————————

Anonymous asks: An Arc’s Aura Amplifying Adventures (RWBY)

————————————————————

*Ruby walks down the hallway, pouting*

Jaune: Hi, Rubes! What’s the matter?

Ruby (frowning): There was this limited sale at the store selling the most amazing cookie ice cream sandwiches, but I was too late! I tried to get them yesterday as well, but they were already gone! I only have until tomorrow morning to get them…

Jaune: Well then…what if I used my semblance to increase your speed, so you can grab them as fast as you can?

Ruby (eyes widened): You…you really think that’ll work?

Jaune: Hey, if I can amplify my head and groin and protect myself from the likes of Nora and your sister, then I can amplify you to the point where you are running at more than 100 miles per hour.

Ruby (smirking): Alright! I’ll be sure to wake up really early tomorrow and then knock on your door to amp me up!

Jaune (chuckling): Heh. Sounds like a plan.

*The next morning…*

*BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!*

Nora (opening the door): Quit knocking al- Oh! Hi, Ruby! What can I do for you?

Ruby (in a rush): I need Jaune! Where is Jaune?!

Jaune (walking towards the door): Right here.

Ruby: C’mon! We gotta get to the store!

*50 minutes pass, and the store that Ruby, Jaune, and a lot of people are at is about to open in 30 seconds*

Ruby: Alright, Jaune! When I see an employee unlock the doors, that’s your cue!

Jaune (readies himself): Ok.

*Ruby sees an employee approaching the door and pulls out the keys*

Ruby: Ok! Now! Do it now! *Jumping* Now now now now now now now!

*Jaune amps up Ruby, and she starts seeing afterimages of herself jumping*

Ruby (grinning): Hrgh! I can feel the power!

*The employee opens the door, then Ruby immediately runs inside, leaving a trail of rose petals behind*

Ruby (really fast): ThanksJauneIreallyappreciateyourhelpI’llberightback!!

Jaune (falls back): Woah!

*5 minutes pass as Ruby walks right back out*

Ruby (smiling): YESYESYESIGOTTHESANDWICHESIgotthesandwichesJauneIcan’tthankyouenoughifthere’sanythingIcandotorepayyouthentellmewhenwegetbacktoBeaconbutfornowhoponmyback!

Jaune (shaking his head): Ah! Uh…okay! *Gets on Ruby’s back*

Ruby: AlrightJauneholdontight! *Zooms out of the area with Jaune holding on tight to her back*

Jaune (freaking out): WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

*40 minutes pass as Ruby and Jaune make it back at Beacon, with Ruby putting away the sandwiches, and the effects she was under starts to wear off*

Ruby (calming down): Haaaaaaaagh… *Presses her face against Jaune’s chest* Mhmmhmy phnks hmph.

Jaune: What?

Ruby (pushes her face away to speak): Many thanks, Jaune. Is there anything I can repay you with…?

Jaune (chuckling): Oh, there’s nothing you have to repay me with. Though…I guess we can share those sandwiches.

Ruby (smiling): Eee~…I’d like that~…

*a week passes, as Teams RWBY and JNPR are outside in a grassy field, wearing winter clothing*

Nora (angrily): This is stupid! The weather forecast lied about today being the day where it snows in this area!

Jaune: Hey, Weiss! You think you can use your power to make it snow in this area? And make that pond over there suitable for ice skating?

Weiss (pondering): I don’t know…I mean, I can try, but I-

*Jaune amps her up without her say-so*

Jaune (smirking): There, will this make it easier?

Weiss (smiling and internally): Dork. *Makes the entire area around her rain heavy with snow and turn the ponds into ice*

*However, both Teams get buried into snow, then struggle to get out*

Ruby (popping out): Agh! Alright, sound off! Who’s still here?

Team WBY (popping out): Here!

Team NPR (popping out): Here!

Jaune (muffled): Here.

Ren (looking around): Huh? Where’d you go, Jaune?

Yang (looking around): Vomit boy, where are you?!

Jaune (muffled): I’m right here!

*Yang and Ren reaches below the snow, grabs something, pulls it out, and its both of Jaune’s legs*

Yang (pulling him out): There you are! You okay?

Ren (pulling him out): That was quite a snowstorm, wasn’t it?

Jaune (hanging upside down): Urp! Yeah…never been better.

Nora (grinning): Well, what are we waiting for? SNOWBALL FIGHT!! *Makes a snowball and pelts Blake*

Blake (shocked): Agh! You’re gonna pay for that!

Weiss (realization): Oops, hold on. *Summons snow forts away from each other*

Ruby (giving Weiss a thumbs up): Excellent thinking, Ice Queen!

Weiss (glaring): Don’t call me that or I’ll pelt you!

Ren (smiling): Well, better get to my team’s fort then. *Runs over to Team NP*

Yang (chuckling): Well, we didn’t come here for nothing. *Tosses Jaune over to Team NPR’s side as she runs over to her team’s side*

*The rest of the day passes as Teams RWBY and JNPR are having fun in the snow, engaging in snowball fights, making snow sculptures, and ice skating*

*After a long day, both Jaune and Weiss are lying down on the snowy ground alone, while Teams RBY and NPR leave the area*

Weiss (panting): *huff* *huff* Today…was fun…thanks for the power boost, Jaune.

Jaune (panting): *huff* *huff* Don’t…mention it…wanna…warm up…back at home…?

Weiss (smiling): I’d…like that…

*Jaune gets up, picks up Weiss off the ground, and carries her back to Beacon*

*Another week passes, as Blake is running away from a bunch of White Fang Members with Sun running alongside her*

Sun (internally): Damnit damnit damnit damnit!

Blake (annoyed): UGH! Why can’t they just leave us alo- *Notices Jaune* Perfect!

*The duo grab Jaune and hide into an alleyway*

Jaune (shocked): Agh! Blake?! What are- *Gets muffled by Sun*

Sun: SSSSSHHHHH!!! Shut up! We’re running away from a bunch of members from the White Fang!

Blake (internally): I can use my semblance to create multiple clones…hm… *Speaks up* Jaune! Amp me up!

Jaune (unmuffles himself): What?!

Blake (gritting her teeth): We’ve got to get out of here! Please, amp me up!

Jaune: Okay! Okay! Just calm down! *Amps her up*

WF Member 1: Alright, you two! Show yourse- *Sees multiple Blake clones*

WF Member 2: The hell?

WF Member 3: Which one’s the real one?!

*As Blake, Sun, and Jaune are running out of the alleyway, Blake creates a large crowd of clones*

Blake: Alright, you two. Start running, but keep your heads low! *Crotches down*

Jaune: Got it! *Crotches down*

Sun: Don’t gotta tell me twice! *Crotches down*

*The WF Members run out*

WF Member 1: WHAT-

WF Member 2: -THE-

WF Member 3: -HELL?!?

*As Blake and the others move to another area, Blake creates even MORE clones*

WF Member 1: Agh! What the hell?!

WF Member 2: We’re never gonna find them!

WF Member 3: Oh…the boss isn’t gonna be happy about this…

*A few minutes later, Sun, Blake, and Jaune successfully avoided the members, hiding away in a clothing’s store*

Sun (panting): *huff* *huff* Glad that’s over.

Blake (panting): *huff* *huff* We’re not…out of the woods yet. We might wanna purchase some clothing here to disguise ourselves.

Jaune (panting): *huff* *huff* No…argument…here…

Blake (feeling guilty): Jaune, I am so sorry we dragged you into this.

Jaune (chuckling): It’s alright, Blake…

Sun: Jaune, I take back what I said about your semblance being stupid…it’s quite something…

*Jaune smiles at that remark, as he and the others search for clever disguises*

*Yet another week passes as Yang, Pyrrha, and Jaune are fighting against a bunch of Beowolves*

Yang (punching them out): Ha! Raah! Hya!

Pyrrha (piercing them): Ha! They don’t stand a chance against us!

Jaune (defending himself): For you two, they don’t! Me, on the other hand…!

Yang (looking at him): Huh?! Vomit bo- *Gets attacked* GAH! Son of a- *Gets pushed away towards Jaune’s direction*

Jaune (get knocked down by Yang): OOF!! P-Pyrrha, hold on! I gotta do something!

Pyrrha (defending herself): No worries, Jaune! I’ve got this!

Jaune (runs over to Yang): Alright, Yang in there, Yang! *Heals her and amps her up*

*A Beowolf leaps over to the duo, Jaune notices this and braces himself*

Jaune (eyes widened): Oh sh-

*Yang IMMEDIATELY gets up, her eyes turns red and hair starts to glow, then punches the Beowolf away with a powerful blow*

Yang (smirking): MY TURN!!! *Runs headfirst into the horde and starts unleashing a lot of hard-hitting punches and kicks*

Pyrrha (shocked): W-Woah! Yang?!

*After killing the horde with no difficulty whatsoever, a bigger Beowolf appears in front of her*

Yang (cracks her fists): You’re in luck, big guy! *Readies herself*

*The Beowolf roars at Yang, then Yang rushes at its chest and unleashes a flurry of fast-paced punches*

Yang (punching like hell): ATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!!!

Jaune (eyes widened): W-Wow…

Yang (does one final, powerful punch): HHHHRRRRAAAAAGGHH!!! *Punches the Beowolf away, and it falls on its back*

*The Beowolf starts jittering uncontrollably, then Yang pulls out her sunglasses, puts them on and smirks*

Yang (crossing her arms): You are already dead.

*The Beowolf starts jittering more, until it explodes into a giant pillar of fire*

Yang (looking at her allies): Heh.

Pyrrha (shocked): Goodness, Yang…! How’d you do that?

*Yang walks over to Jaune, wraps her arm around him, pats his shoulder, and points directly at him*

Jaune (smiling): Uh…hehehe.

Yang (smiling): Thanks for the awesome power boost, ladykiller! Ain’t his semblance awesome, P-money?

Pyrrha (still in awe): Y-Yes! It is!

Yang: This calls for a celebration. Drinks are on me!

*The trio cheers loudly*

#anonymous asks #Q&A #ask me anything #jaune arc #ruby rose #weiss schnee #lie ren #nora valkyrie #blake belladonna #sun wukong #yang xiao long #pyrrha nikos

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conditionaljewel · 5 years ago

Text

A Message to Men

(This is all copied mostly verbatim from a tweet thread I just made, with minor edits)

Every night, I go out to the alley to smoke for a little bit. (Before you even start, just stop. I don’t need to hear about how I shouldn’t smoke, just stop.) Many people in the apartment complex walk their dogs in the alley, and I stand off in this one little corner, keeping to myself, watching youtube videos and just doing random shit on my phone. No big deal, not bothering anyone, not in anyone's way. Occasionally, the random passerby will let their dog come say hello, or I'll say hello to the person as they walk by, there's really only one person whom I enjoy chatting with whenever they come out.

This isn't about them.

This is about this new guy to the complex who has been coming out for the past few weeks to walk his dog, and has stopped to talk to me. The first night I didn't mind it, it was only for a second, and then he kept on going. Even the second night wasn't bad. The third night, though, is when I began to take issue. He'd noticed that I was out there with a cane, something he'd not seen me with before (which is another story), and asked me what had happened. Told him, and we started talking some about his ailments, mine, etc. Ever since that night, he's seen me out there a few more times, and each time he's stopped to talk, increasingly getting longer and longer conversations. He's told me of some things that I didn't particularly mind but also didn't care to know and while I don't feel threatened by him, I just don't exactly get good vibes from him. He's just a hair intrusive, and it also seems like he's a little intoxicated every time he comes out. Not something I'm thrilled about in someone I'm conversing with, but whatever.

Enter last night. I was texting somebody using voice-to-text as he walked past, but he stopped about halfway down the alley and began to double back. It was then he realized I wasn't talking to someone, just texting, and began to start a conversation with me. I was annoyed. "I thought you were on a phone call at first, but when I saw you weren't, I thought I'd come back." Uhhhh, that's just a little weird and off-putting. It just gave me some weird vibes, idk. It just made me feel a way I can't describe. Not now at least.

So now that we're talking, I take this opportunity to mention (while casually trying to imply) that I'm not really social, *I like to leave people alone bc I never know what they may be doing or anything* and so I keep to myself.

Dude kept talking to me for another 20 min.

I finally have to lie and say I gotta head in and get the dog so I can walk him, just to get him to continue walking his dog and stop talking to me. Even as he followed me back down the alley to the door, he was talking and I was delayed another few minutes. Whatever.

Tonight, I saw him come outside from down the alley, and immediately had to text my friend "please call me so I don't have to talk to this guy." So she does, and we begin talking just as he's walking to where I'm at. What happens?

HE FUCKING STOPPED AND WAITED.

He walked up to me, and as I'm mid-sentence, asks to borrow my lighter. Being polite, I give it to him, only for him to SAY "my lighter isn't working, can you take a look at it."

WHILE STILL ON THE PHONE.

So I spark it 3 or 4 times and hand it back to him, shrugging. He then proceeded to stand there for another 3 minutes while I WAS STILL ON THE PHONE TALKING before he finally pulled his dog away and walked off. I saw him stop where he stopped the other night before turning around, and took that opportunity to come back inside.

This guy is in his like late 40s/early 50s, has a wife and kid, and a history (from what he's told me). I'm just a little (a lot) put-off by him, and while I don't exactly feel like he's a threat or that I'm in danger, I just don't get good vibes from him. Not to mention, this is all happening in a darker corner of the alleyway, where the streetlights don't hit quite well. So its even more anxiety-inducing, but again, I'm just trying to stay out of people's ways as they walk through.

The moral of this story is: For the love of fuck, men, please leave random people, women in particular, you don't know the hell alone. You may think you're being polite or well-meaning, but I promise you, it's not coming off that way. Especially if you're intrusive, and ask about random shit that doesn't concern you. Just bc you've seen me twice doesn't mean you can ask me why I've got a cane all of a sudden, and then strike up further conversations with me. Doesn't mean you suddenly know me, either.

Also, don't lead off a conversation with a factoid being that you've spent time in prison, cuz that also doesn't help to make us feel any more safe. Idc what you were in for, if it was just drug possession or something non-violent, your actions are what make me feel uneasy.

Please, for the love of god, please just leave random people alone. I'm begging you. You will do the world a whole lot more good if you just fucked off and left people to their own lives. Also, your dog will appreciate it if you didn't stop to talk for 20 minutes, too.

#text post #long post #personal #journal entry #a tweet thread turned text post #psa #to all the men of the world #just stop #fucking stop #stop being creeps #stop being intrusive #stop bothering people who dont want to be bothered #take the fucking hint

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verdigrisprowl · 6 years ago

Text

Jan 11 Library Movie Night - BLoSC ep 2-6

Prowl’s alternate’s alternate showed up for the first time, sparkling in tow. Said sparkling immediately became the star of the night. Starscream spent the whole night glued to it.

Nobody is fond of the brain-squeezing scenes.

Today verdigrisprowl 7:40 pm *well hello Soundwave, early arriver.* ... Were you waiting for me to get here? NoodlesAtNight 7:42 pm [[Good evening.]] *Soundwave lowers his datapad and offers Prowl a small smile.* [[He was. He intended to steal a moment before the crowd arrives.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 7:43 pm *ARRIVES* thebestdecepticonleader 7:43 pm ((Hi everyone)) verdigrisprowl 7:43 pm I think you're a little late for that. But you can help set up the snack table. NoodlesAtNight 7:43 pm [[And there's the crowd.]] *Gestures.* [[Oh well. He'll do that, happily.]] thebestdecepticonleader 7:43 pm I can look away if you want privacy NoodlesAtNight 7:43 pm *Gets up and starts doing exactly as suggested.* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:43 pm Bird?? opatoes 7:44 pm /He's here early for once! And he brought along a few games this time, even./ Good evening. verdigrisprowl 7:45 pm Evening. MedicalMurdersaurus 7:45 pm *kartwheels up to Soundwave* NoodlesAtNight 7:45 pm [[Swoop! Do not do that. We are in a library. That is a place for quiet voices and physical restraint.]] verdigrisprowl 7:45 pm Alternate. verdigrisprowl 7:46 pm *right! Got the episodes lined up, he can finish moving chairs into place.* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:46 pm *has never been briefed on library manners and only vaguely seen them on TV ebfore his visits here* Pff! Where Bird? Me Swoop have snack for Her Bird : > Lieutenant10 7:46 pm *is here entirely for the library aspect* NoodlesAtNight 7:46 pm [[Not here today. She does not come to these particular movie nights.]] SCProwl 7:46 pm Captain. NoodlesAtNight 7:46 pm [[Try Monday.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 7:47 pm But. Me Swoop have goodie for Bird. : < verdigrisprowl 7:47 pm ... And /other/ alternate. You made it. NoodlesAtNight 7:47 pm *And that's the snack table worked out.*

[[Then eat it yourself and don't tell her. She has plenty.]] *Suddenly, deer in the headlights - specifically of two Prowls he ISN'T dating. Uh-oh. Better be on best behavior tonight.* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:47 pm Kehehhh! Her Bird get MAD if Her hear that! Too many! Pah! rulesandprotocol 7:47 pm Well I did say I would try and make it, Hunters fussy tonight so I dont know how long I'll be able to stay SCProwl 7:47 pm *oh there's another alternate here, that's... something* Swervester 7:48 pm [slides in] thebestdecepticonleader 7:48 pm Why are there so many Prowls? I feel outnumbered. Lieutenant10 7:48 pm *There are so many Prowl's. It's the best night* verdigrisprowl 7:48 pm Imagine that, a show that's hosted by a Prowl is popular with Prowls. SCProwl 7:48 pm *pings Soundwave a greeting anyway* Swervester 7:48 pm Amazing thebestdecepticonleader 7:48 pm 😕 yeah but... Swervester 7:48 pm Hi Prowl. Prowl. Prowl. opatoes 7:49 pm ... Wait, Is my vision fragged? verdigrisprowl 7:49 pm Swoop, if you get rambunctious tonight, you're getting bridged outside without warning. *there is a sparkling here and he's told they're delicate, he's not risking anything.* SCProwl 7:49 pm Hello. Swerve, correct? thebestdecepticonleader 7:49 pm I feel like you are going to get people to gang up on me with the three of you Lieutenant10 7:49 pm ((dangit gotta leave)) verdigrisprowl 7:49 pm If you're nervous, you can leave. Lieutenant10 7:49 pm ((why)) MedicalMurdersaurus 7:49 pm RamBUNKchus! Keheheh! thebestdecepticonleader 7:49 pm no opatoes 7:49 pm /He's glaring at all the prowls, trying to see if any of them will disappear if he does so./ NoodlesAtNight 7:50 pm *Soundwave perks at the mention of Hunter. The sparkling is here? He'll wind a feeler between various bots to get a peek with the claw optics.* SCProwl 7:50 pm *still here, blissfully unaware of the fact that she's being glared at by anyone* verdigrisprowl 7:50 pm Then keep it to yourself. I'm interested in watching a cop show, not irrationally ganging up on a guest who volunteered to come. Swervester 7:50 pm Yup I'm Swerve. thebestdecepticonleader 7:50 pm Can you sit together so that I can sit on the other side of the room? rulesandprotocol 7:50 pm Hunter: squeaks Swervester 7:50 pm [sparkling? hello let him see the baby???] Aw. rulesandprotocol 7:51 pm Hunter * makes grabby hand toward feeler* thebestdecepticonleader 7:51 pm *gasps* baby NoodlesAtNight 7:51 pm [[This is very different than the-- oof.]] *He'll allow that. Just don't drool on him, youngling.* [[The protoforms in your materials, Swerve.]] opatoes 7:52 pm /Finally decides one of the Prowls is probably Cerebros after all, and stops glaring./ So- how much have I missed of this show? What type of police work do they do? Swervester 7:52 pm Oh yeah. To be fair, the materials I sent were specifically for forged hot spot sparklings. The ones who are adults within a week, like our plague babies. verdigrisprowl 7:52 pm Sorry, Starscream, the baby's with a Prowl. Guess you've got to stay across the room from it. MedicalMurdersaurus 7:52 pm *notices everyone paying attention to a thing and wanders closer to see what is up* thebestdecepticonleader 7:52 pm aw 😕 rulesandprotocol 7:52 pm Starscream can meet him if he wants. thebestdecepticonleader 7:53 pm Can I? verdigrisprowl 7:53 pm Hey, he was the one who said he was uncomfortable. *shrugs* rulesandprotocol 7:53 pm Yeah if you want to. verdigrisprowl 7:53 pm *he watches Swoop like a hawk.* NoodlesAtNight 7:53 pm *Gently wiggles the claw in Hunter's grabbing hands to and fro, amused.* Swervester 7:53 pm [leans in for a better look] Hi kiddo. thebestdecepticonleader 7:53 pm Babies are more important than my safety verdigrisprowl 7:53 pm *huffs* rulesandprotocol 7:53 pm Hunter: *clicks giggles loving attention* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:53 pm *is a hawk (sort of) circling the adults entranced by the baby* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:54 pm *is actually walking and not flying (for now)* NoodlesAtNight 7:54 pm *Doesn't think Starscream is wrong, per se, but knows better than to say that. He can only get away with that when he is the host himself.* Swervester 7:54 pm [beeps quietly at baby] SCProwl 7:54 pm *if the chairs have been moved into place, this Prowl is going to find the chair nearest the door and take that* thebestdecepticonleader 7:54 pm *Kneels next to the sparkling* Hello little one MedicalMurdersaurus 7:54 pm *stands behind Swerve to look at the sparkling* rulesandprotocol 7:55 pm Hunter: puh -click- verdigrisprowl 7:55 pm *to the guy that definitely isn't Smokescreen* I haven't picked up any speciality. They seem to do /all/ police work, as long as it's out on the field. And occasionally fight evil emperors. NoodlesAtNight 7:55 pm *Now getting worried about overwhelming them with all the others; carefully withdraws the claw and pats the hand before reeling his feeler in and moving to the other side of the room. That's probably better for it.* verdigrisprowl 7:55 pm *well, he WANTED to go greet his alternate with the sparkling, but he seems a little swarmed right now.* Sorry, alternate. I didn't realize Hunter would be such a popular attraction. *he'll just stay across the room.* thebestdecepticonleader 7:55 pm Babies always are verdigrisprowl 7:55 pm Now I know. Swervester 7:56 pm Babies are great. [sidles back to his chosen chair tho bc that's a lot of people] rulesandprotocol 7:56 pm I didn't think he'd be that popular either honestly. opatoes 7:56 pm Evil emperors? Hm. Seems engaging. Thank you. I will have to catch up with the previous episodes later. NoodlesAtNight 7:56 pm *Hovers next to amica-Prowl, and pings his own timeline's. Good evening. Then all the other mechs in turn, if he hasn't already greeted them.* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:56 pm *glances at the baby, down at Swerve and back at the baby* PFFF! That a LAME baby. Me Swoop can take Him. thebestdecepticonleader 7:56 pm Just remember, if you need any help with them, I will do anything to protect them Swervester 7:56 pm There will be no taking, Swoop. NoodlesAtNight 7:56 pm *ALARM* [[Do NOT fight the newbuild.]] opatoes 7:57 pm /For now, Smokescreen's going up towards the table which usually has drinks, hoping to grab a few cubes before setting down towards the front of the screen./ thebestdecepticonleader 7:57 pm *moving back a bit but still nearby* rulesandprotocol 7:57 pm Hunter: *smiles* babbling nonsense verdigrisprowl 7:57 pm *Prowl's pretty sure that if he tells Swoop not to, he'll immediately try to do so. So watches silently and gets ready with a bridge.* NoodlesAtNight 7:57 pm *...Whoops.* rulesandprotocol 7:58 pm Hunter: *whines* MedicalMurdersaurus 7:58 pm Not much of a FIGHT! Keheh! Him suck. Me Swoop WAY tougher. thebestdecepticonleader 7:58 pm Do they need anything, blankets, energon, anything? rulesandprotocol 7:58 pm No he should be good, I fed him before we left, I have the poncho for him thebestdecepticonleader 7:58 pm Let me know though, okay? verdigrisprowl 7:59 pm *oh good, he doesn't seem to be taking it as a challenge.* rulesandprotocol 7:59 pm sure verdigrisprowl 7:59 pm I've got snacks on a table to the side if you or he need anything. ... Do sparklings drink high grade? MedicalMurdersaurus 7:59 pm *totally stares the sparkling down* NoodlesAtNight 7:59 pm @P: [[We have discovered the key to a Starscream's generosity: tiny Cybertronians.]] rulesandprotocol 7:59 pm no they dont but thanks for the offer MedicalMurdersaurus 7:59 pm *come AT him bro* verdigrisprowl 7:59 pm *has learned one (1) new fact about sparklings* rulesandprotocol 7:59 pm *watches swoopcarefully* Swervester 8:00 pm Swoop come sit with me, I got snacks ypou can have for Bird. verdigrisprowl 8:01 pm @S «Who would have guessed? NoodlesAtNight 8:01 pm *Strangely, that sounds like the key to his OWN sense of generosity - but in his defense, he's mostly programmed that way. Starscream just has a weakness.* verdigrisprowl 8:01 pm *Prowl was just thinking that sounded more like Soundwave.* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:01 pm *glances at Swerve* Bird? : > SCProwl 8:01 pm *has learned that many people, including Soundwave and Starscream, fall all over themselves in response to sparklings. is it a signal they're giving off? something else? we just don't know* Swervester 8:02 pm Yeah. SCProwl 8:02 pm *in Soundwave's case it might have something to do with carrier coding and minicons. sparklings do tend to be rather small don't they?* NoodlesAtNight 8:02 pm *IT'S A TINY PERSON, OKAY? IT'S HIS JOB.* rulesandprotocol 8:02 pm Hunter *suddenly cranky* thebestdecepticonleader 8:02 pm So what is their name? rulesandprotocol 8:02 pm Hunter, Hold on one minute I'll be right back NoodlesAtNight 8:02 pm [[Ah - is he all right?]] thebestdecepticonleader 8:03 pm Cool name Can I help? verdigrisprowl 8:03 pm We'll be here. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:03 pm Yah, snacks for Bird! *starts to go with Swerve, then pauses to look at the sparkling one last time* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:04 pm *smacks both of his palms on his chest, holds up his hands and grins .... before walking away* thebestdecepticonleader 8:04 pm *Starscream has a sparkling, but he left them with the Autobots, that's why he's going like this* Swervester 8:04 pm [snorts] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:05 pm *is clearly the most badass baby in the room and immediately grabs onto Swerve* Snacks for Bird! NoodlesAtNight 8:05 pm *Soundwave shakes his head at Swoop. A mighty victory, bananabeak. Which reminds him. He turns to amica-Prowl.*

@P: [[...Perhaps we should get one.]] Swervester 8:05 pm [amused. he allows the hanging] Yes, snacks for Bird. verdigrisprowl 8:05 pm @S «... Come again?» *where would they keep it.* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:06 pm Where? Swervester 8:06 pm Here. [pulls out bag from subspace] rulesandprotocol 8:06 pm *returns with Hunter in arms.* we should be all set now sorry thebestdecepticonleader 8:06 pm Why are sparklings so precious? Swervester 8:07 pm //i'm laughing three prowls i really should have come as roller he'd be dying rulesandprotocol 8:07 pm Because Ithey done let their Carriers sleep for months and if they weren't precious most people wouldn't tolerate them MedicalMurdersaurus 8:07 pm *grins and makes grabby hands* Him Sideswipe give Me Swoop snack for Her Bird too! Him being gross with Thundercracker. Me Swoop going to have lots lots of snacks for Her Bird! NoodlesAtNight 8:07 pm @P: [[A sparkling. A newbuild? He thinks we should look into this.]] verdigrisprowl 8:08 pm @S «... Why??» thebestdecepticonleader 8:08 pm True, you know, if he ever needs a babysitter Swervester 8:08 pm [amused noise] Was he? Here. Have the whole bag. verdigrisprowl 8:08 pm *aren't there professionals who can take care of them* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:08 pm Yay : > rulesandprotocol 8:08 pm Thanks but Ive got almost 10 on retainer and 5 of them I dont even know their names Swervester 8:08 pm I'm sure she'll enjoy the snacks. thebestdecepticonleader 8:08 pm Oh, that's good NoodlesAtNight 8:08 pm *Soundwave tilts his helm. Does Prowl really need that explained to him?*

@P: [[Your timeline is taking in many refugees. Someone who would like to see Starscream behave like a better leader is bound to create one of these some time. If they were willing to cooperate, we could test his susceptibility to their presence.]] Swervester 8:08 pm //im crying soundwave MedicalMurdersaurus 8:09 pm Sometimes Her too many snack for tiny flying kehehheheheh Swervester 8:09 pm Does she MedicalMurdersaurus 8:09 pm It funniest thing EVER verdigrisprowl 8:10 pm @S «Ahhh. That IS a vulnerability we ought to look into.» *HE THOUGHT SOUNDWAVE MEANT TO KEEP* cerebrosurgeon 8:10 pm [He's here and going straight for Swerve as usual. Everyone he recognises gets their waves. He's fascinated by the baby in passing; everyone figured out where to find sparklings except the mechs sitting on a hot spot, huh?] Hey, hey. NoodlesAtNight 8:10 pm *THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT THING* verdigrisprowl 8:10 pm @S «... Can you bug a sparkling?» NoodlesAtNight 8:10 pm [[Greetings, Cerebros.]] Swervester 8:10 pm Hey Cere. NoodlesAtNight 8:10 pm @P: [[...He doesn't know. He could try.]] verdigrisprowl 8:10 pm Right. We should get started now. verdigrisprowl 8:11 pm Everyone ready? thebestdecepticonleader 8:11 pm yeah cerebrosurgeon 8:11 pm Hey! Hi. I'm good. opatoes 8:11 pm Indeed. SCProwl 8:11 pm I am. Swervester 8:11 pm Yup NoodlesAtNight 8:11 pm [[Oh, yes. Apologies.]] *He'll get himself seated, like a normal person who's totally not secretly scheming.* opatoes 8:11 pm ... /Wait, Cerebros is here? But he thought he was already here. Now he is glaring at all the Prowls and Cerebros./ rulesandprotocol 8:11 pm *sits on floor lays Lockdowns poncho out and placed Hunter on his stomach so he can watch the show* Hunter *calm and happy* verdigrisprowl 8:12 pm ((i haven't pre-watched any of these so absolutely no content warnings and I apologize ahead of time if anything is cringy)) thebestdecepticonleader 8:12 pm *sitting on floor near Hunter* cerebrosurgeon 8:12 pm [He is definitely here /now/. He knows he's normally earlier. Sorry, Smokescreen.] Swervester 8:12 pm //for a second i thought those were tfa bees thebestdecepticonleader 8:13 pm That's not... how black holes work MedicalMurdersaurus 8:13 pm *wanders over to find a seat by the screen, which brings him closer to Hunter* Swervester 8:13 pm Science verdigrisprowl 8:13 pm They might be a little misinformed. rulesandprotocol 8:14 pm Hunter * flutters door wings puts toy he's been holding into mouth* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:14 pm *sits down criss cross apple sauce* NoodlesAtNight 8:14 pm *Huh. He thought that was a toy, not a food item. He really should spend more time learning about alternate universe newbuilds.* verdigrisprowl 8:15 pm Why would you go into stasis in the middle of a dangerous maneuver? rulesandprotocol 8:15 pm Toxic gas possibly? thebestdecepticonleader 8:15 pm Maybe it was unintentional NoodlesAtNight 8:15 pm [[Now is a time.]] verdigrisprowl 8:15 pm He initiated the procedure, and he had a space suit on to protect him from gases—or the lack thereof, in this case. Swervester 8:16 pm [squints] NoodlesAtNight 8:17 pm [[...This must be a lie.]] verdigrisprowl 8:17 pm ... That seems improbable. Maybe they mean large, systematic evils? Swervester 8:17 pm That's weirdly insistent. verdigrisprowl 8:18 pm It could've been reduced to the sort of threats that can be addressed by planet-by-planet police forces rather than an overarching galactic police system. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:18 pm *stretches his wings out* NoodlesAtNight 8:19 pm [[They did seem insistent that it was all crime - such as the would be mugger that gave flowers.]] verdigrisprowl 8:19 pm Indeed. Hm. verdigrisprowl 8:20 pm ... All right. I'm skeptical. Swervester 8:20 pm [frowny face] I feel like it's a Zurg plot except why would Zurg have everyone celebrate Buzz opatoes 8:20 pm There is, without a doubt, something wrong with this universe. Swervester 8:20 pm Oh. opatoes 8:20 pm Ah. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:20 pm Kehheehhh Boob verdigrisprowl 8:20 pm A lotus-eater machine? Swervester 8:20 pm Wow that was not something I expected opatoes 8:21 pm ... Hm. Zerg is... Familiar. verdigrisprowl 8:21 pm As long as he thinks the galaxy is at peace, he has no urge to run out to fight crime? ... Ahhh. Intel. Swervester 8:21 pm Yeah, I guess tho he seems pretty uncontent with it so--Oh. NoodlesAtNight 8:21 pm [[...He saw an ancient film about a perfect town on Earth. The lack of crime, disagreement, and imperfection was due to a young outlier human with reality warping abilities. He would punish anyone who displeased him. He wonders if that is the case h-- oh. Zurg. He supposes not.]] Swervester 8:22 pm And now I see. He schedules his gloating? NoodlesAtNight 8:22 pm [[It's so efficient.]] *Slight admiring tone.* verdigrisprowl 8:22 pm Efficient. Swervester 8:22 pm .... Actually maybe that's smart, if he has it scheduled for a specific time it doesn't interfere with plotting NoodlesAtNight 8:22 pm *Soft huff.* verdigrisprowl 8:22 pm *huff* opatoes 8:22 pm ... Magnetic forces? Hm. verdigrisprowl 8:23 pm Ooh. That looks fun. opatoes 8:23 pm It does, doesn't it? thebestdecepticonleader 8:23 pm It seems like an unnecessarily long time for gloating though MedicalMurdersaurus 8:23 pm :V Me Swoop want to bounce! Swervester 8:23 pm That's not working as planned. opatoes 8:23 pm ... Zerg is even as incompetent as. Hm. NoodlesAtNight 8:24 pm ((oh my god they slipped that past the radar didn't they)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:24 pm *snickers* opatoes 8:24 pm ((wait what'd they say NoodlesAtNight 8:24 pm ((the robot went "ooh, lower, lower")) cerebrosurgeon 8:24 pm For someone who spends a lot of time after these guys, he's not great at this. verdigrisprowl 8:24 pm ((i was picturing a back massage)) thebestdecepticonleader 8:24 pm ((oh gosh)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:24 pm POOF! opatoes 8:25 pm ((OH adsvcxb NoodlesAtNight 8:25 pm [[A refuse hat?]] Swervester 8:25 pm //is that a fuckin star wars ref verdigrisprowl 8:25 pm Hatch. ((u know it)) NoodlesAtNight 8:25 pm [[Oh. That does make more sense.]] verdigrisprowl 8:25 pm The torture might not be working, but he DID just get the weakness to Star Command. Swervester 8:25 pm //god how did i ever forget how funny yhis show was Swervester 8:25 pm Why didn't he use this on everyone? It was obviouly a good plot. cerebrosurgeon 8:25 pm His simulation's not bad- Yeah! Swervester 8:26 pm Oh. cerebrosurgeon 8:26 pm ... Little more manual than a simulation, I see. verdigrisprowl 8:26 pm Because Buzz was the only one who was slungshot through space and would have a reason to think he was teleported into the future. Swervester 8:26 pm Wow, it'd be better if he hadn't found the trap. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:26 pm Kehehhe! Them RIIIIP face! NoodlesAtNight 8:26 pm *Mildly disturbed by the sight of fleshlings peeling apart to be robots.* verdigrisprowl 8:26 pm *could be worse. could be the other way around.* NoodlesAtNight 8:27 pm [[...The controls are a keyboard.]] verdigrisprowl 8:27 pm ((man, the animation in this episode is top notch. check out those faces.)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:27 pm *ERUPTS in laughter* verdigrisprowl 8:27 pm ((mira and xr in particular looked great)) opatoes 8:27 pm ((I know right rulesandprotocol 8:27 pm Hunter * giggles cause others laugh* Swervester 8:28 pm She not used to leading I guess? cerebrosurgeon 8:28 pm 〈I'm constantly distracted by the art in this show〉 opatoes 8:28 pm . . . thebestdecepticonleader 8:28 pm That's why every group needs at least two capable of leading NoodlesAtNight 8:28 pm *Quietly wonders how much the sparkling can comprehend. They all seem to have differing levels from timeline to timeline...* thebestdecepticonleader 8:28 pm *pouting* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:28 pm Leader stuff is for leaders *nods and thinks of all the Grimlock noogies* NoodlesAtNight 8:28 pm [[Ergh.]] *Shudder.* Swervester 8:29 pm Oh. verdigrisprowl 8:29 pm It's the fake. rulesandprotocol 8:29 pm is he being fooled by the dummy? thebestdecepticonleader 8:29 pm think so? Lieutenant10 8:30 pm Suitable. Dummy for a dummy verdigrisprowl 8:30 pm He's too stiff. rulesandprotocol 8:30 pm Its probably what I would have done in his situation/ Swervester 8:30 pm Wait is star command just right next door to the Zurg base thebestdecepticonleader 8:30 pm apparently verdigrisprowl 8:30 pm Zurg has ships. He gets around. rulesandprotocol 8:30 pm thats just poor planning MedicalMurdersaurus 8:30 pm KEHEHEHEHHHH opatoes 8:30 pm ... He could have done that this whole time opatoes 8:31 pm Hm. thebestdecepticonleader 8:31 pm that's not how physics works verdigrisprowl 8:31 pm They're on a ship. They undoubtedly flew close just for this specific attack. NoodlesAtNight 8:31 pm [[Perhaps it is encased in rubber.]] Swervester 8:31 pm I think physics in this universe is a bit more flexib;e. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:31 pm *is just delighted every time Zerg is a snarky asshole* SCProwl 8:31 pm Not in this universe anyway. thebestdecepticonleader 8:32 pm ((wow, kiss our refuse hatch goodbye opatoes 8:32 pm Heh. verdigrisprowl 8:32 pm *HUFF* NoodlesAtNight 8:32 pm *HUFFS* Swervester 8:32 pm [chokes] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:32 pm ((O M F G)) NoodlesAtNight 8:32 pm [[He thinks XR has that out of order.]] SCProwl 8:32 pm Well. opatoes 8:32 pm Indeed, the order seems a bit off. ... Why is he 3d in this MedicalMurdersaurus 8:32 pm *snickers because the adults are reacting* verdigrisprowl 8:33 pm *XR, space hero.* opatoes 8:33 pm Oh. Oh, it's simply someone dressed as Buzz Lightyear. verdigrisprowl 8:33 pm Oh... *waves vaguely* They advertise a tie-in toy in the intro sometimes. NoodlesAtNight 8:33 pm (("I need a debriefing and I need it now" is a good pickup line for a spy/soldier.)) rulesandprotocol 8:33 pm Hunter *coos and toy falls out of his mouth a rolls away* NoodlesAtNight 8:33 pm *Absently reaches out with feeler to pick up the toy.* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:33 pm *glances down at the rolling toy* NoodlesAtNight 8:33 pm *Sets it back on the Prowl's belly and reels in.* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:34 pm Arson : > verdigrisprowl 8:34 pm No arson in here. Lieutenant10 8:34 pm Unpaid parking tickets rulesandprotocol 8:34 pm Thanks SOundwave * pick it up and places in subspace* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:34 pm Me Swoop like arson : V NoodlesAtNight 8:34 pm [[No unpaid parking tickets in here either.]] *Amused.* [[You are welcome.]] Swervester 8:35 pm Wow. verdigrisprowl 8:35 pm /He/ took the time to soak the atmosphere. thebestdecepticonleader 8:36 pm Not enough apparently verdigrisprowl 8:36 pm But, you'd think they would've checked how many arms his species has before attempting to arrest him. That seems like basic info. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:36 pm Are wings limbs? thebestdecepticonleader 8:36 pm Yes verdigrisprowl 8:36 pm If they're prehensile. Lieutenant10 8:36 pm Yes MedicalMurdersaurus 8:36 pm *waggles his* thebestdecepticonleader 8:36 pm *Wiggle, wiggle* NoodlesAtNight 8:36 pm *Idly imagines Prowl with arms like his. The long arm of the law. Hm.* Lieutenant10 8:36 pm *flick flicks* rulesandprotocol 8:36 pm Hunter *tries to copy Swoops wing waggles with his doors* verdigrisprowl 8:37 pm ... So that applies to everyone here. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:37 pm *glances over at Starscream and flairs his wings a bit wider* NoodlesAtNight 8:37 pm *...Nah. They wouldn't look good.* [[Hm? What applies to everyone here? Parking tickets?]] SCProwl 8:37 pm Wings? thebestdecepticonleader 8:37 pm Oh... were you not using wing speech? verdigrisprowl 8:37 pm *DID HE REMEMBER TO PING HIS ALTERNATE A VIDEO STREAM* *PINGS and apologizes* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:37 pm Wing speech? SCProwl 8:38 pm *the mun may have forgotten, whoops* thebestdecepticonleader 8:38 pm When you move your wings to add meaning verdigrisprowl 8:38 pm *the other mun may have as well* SCProwl 8:38 pm *retcon, it was there the whole time!* thebestdecepticonleader 8:38 pm For example "hello" *wing wiggles* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:38 pm Oh! *thinks Screamer means "body language" and bobbles his head* verdigrisprowl 8:38 pm Prehensile wings. verdigrisprowl 8:39 pm Parking tickets don't apply to anyone here. opatoes 8:39 pm ....... Hm. Lieutenant10 8:39 pm Ah It is the Frizzle bus opatoes 8:39 pm Parking tickets? ... What are parking tickets NoodlesAtNight 8:39 pm *Eyes his arms. Turns his head to one side, and then the other. ... Lifts his hands.* [][][]Prehensile wings.[][][] thebestdecepticonleader 8:39 pm Considering all of my crimes, parking tickets are the least of my worries verdigrisprowl 8:39 pm Sure, but they're not separate on you, so they don't count as additional limbs. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:40 pm *assumes a parking ticket is like a ticket to a show or theme park, which is really confusing this discussion for him and it shows on his face* NoodlesAtNight 8:40 pm [[Perhaps if he'd been sparked with his feelers first and acquired his arms in a contest.]] verdigrisprowl 8:40 pm In species that drive separate vehicles, many cultures have laws about where you can leave behind the vehicles when you're not using them. thebestdecepticonleader 8:41 pm My Cybertron actually gives out parking tickets 😕 rulesandprotocol 8:41 pm My universe give tickets for indecent Transformation, so basically transforming in places not allowed such as walk ways or in the middle of the road MedicalMurdersaurus 8:41 pm *is now imagining people dropping corpses in places in getting in trouble for the location, which is lame* rulesandprotocol 8:42 pm you have to find a transformation spot, similar to earths parking lots or spaces and transform there NoodlesAtNight 8:42 pm *Suddenly very glad to be a flight model these days.* Swervester 8:42 pm We had a whole lane on my Cybertron; transformation lanes against the sidewalk so that if you needed to drive you just transformed on the side of the road to avoid accidents. verdigrisprowl 8:42 pm Mine gives tickets for obstruction of traffic, but otherwise you can leave your vehicle anywhere. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:42 pm Driving sound BORING SCProwl 8:43 pm Says someone that's never driven before. Swervester 8:44 pm Do you trust him to drive. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:44 pm Flying better. Dinobots better! Us go wherever, DO WHATEVER us want : > rulesandprotocol 8:44 pm Drivings fun NoodlesAtNight 8:44 pm [[It isn't so bad. There are some things that cannot be easily done in the air.]] Lieutenant10 8:44 pm Flying is certainly better opatoes 8:44 pm ... Wait, is that what those pieces of paper are for? verdigrisprowl 8:44 pm Flying didn't do much for me. opatoes 8:44 pm I simply assumed humans were littering. rulesandprotocol 8:44 pm only way I've flown is via the Death's Head or the Arclight. NoodlesAtNight 8:44 pm [[And it is much, much easier to travel und--]] *Pause. Twist to look at Prowl.* [[When were you an aerial mech?]] SCProwl 8:45 pm I'd rather keep my wheels on the ground. opatoes 8:45 pm ... Relatable, Zerg. rulesandprotocol 8:45 pm same verdigrisprowl 8:45 pm The, uh. Er. Banana. MedicalMurdersaurus 8:45 pm BLOP! New guy! Lieutenant10 8:45 pm ((Thank you guys for this bc I'm now IN LOVE with this show)) NoodlesAtNight 8:45 pm [[Oh. Oh, yes.]] *Shudder.* [[Let's not speak of that.]] verdigrisprowl 8:45 pm ((IT'S A GREAT SHOW)) NoodlesAtNight 8:45 pm ((same! i've never seen any, it's so good)) opatoes 8:45 pm ((IT IS verdigrisprowl 8:45 pm ((i recommend watching the intro movie)) Lieutenant10 8:45 pm ((Zurg is my new love, and the animation is just SO REFRESHING)) opatoes 8:46 pm ((OH YEAH i saw that like... a couple years ago Lieutenant10 8:46 pm (( I watched the intro movie when I was like 8 )) verdigrisprowl 8:46 pm ((Zurg is SO great)) SCProwl 8:46 pm ((it's delightful Lieutenant10 8:46 pm (( Going to need to watch it again now)) thebestdecepticonleader 8:47 pm ((there's a movie?)) verdigrisprowl 8:47 pm ((yep! it explains how the team got together)) NoodlesAtNight 8:47 pm @P: [[He takes it there won't be any root mode repeats of the time you sat on him while he was flying, then? Intentional or otherwise.]] thebestdecepticonleader 8:47 pm ((cool I'll have to find it)) verdigrisprowl 8:47 pm *side-eyeing the guest who came in late that he didn't greet. is that Lieutenant? It looks like Lieutenant. He can't ask in case he's right and Lieutenant is still, for some reason, undercover.* Osmond 8:47 pm *Jazz slips in * verdigrisprowl 8:47 pm ((just search for Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command: The Adventure Begins. it's up on youtube.)) thebestdecepticonleader 8:48 pm ((cool verdigrisprowl 8:48 pm @S «Why, do you want there to be?» Swervester 8:48 pm Why didn't she do that at the start MedicalMurdersaurus 8:48 pm Shake shake shake! verdigrisprowl 8:49 pm *oh! other amica! that'll distract him from lieutenant. waves* NoodlesAtNight 8:49 pm @P: [[One never knows what may become necessary some day.]] Osmond 8:49 pm *smiles and waves, is there room from him to sit nearby? * NoodlesAtNight 8:49 pm *Like side-eyeing the latest of Prowl's guests. Which mostly looks like he's just watching the screen. Half visor. Still.* Lieutenant10 8:49 pm *sees Prowl look at him and gives him a nod and goes back to hoarding library books* rulesandprotocol 8:49 pm Hunter: *coos sleepily* verdigrisprowl 8:49 pm *sure, sit on his other side* *he got a nod! that's lieutenant.* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:50 pm *glances over at the cooing baby, what a loser, they should arm wrestle* thebestdecepticonleader 8:50 pm *coos back* adorable Swervester 8:50 pm [tweaks Swoop's wing lightly and offers another treat for distraction] MedicalMurdersaurus 8:50 pm :V *was tweaked* Osmond 8:50 pm *comes to sit with Prowl * sorry I'm late verdigrisprowl 8:51 pm It's fine. You only missed a couple of episodes. NoodlesAtNight 8:52 pm *Has to be nice and not say "You could've been later." Is trying to keep to that whole Not Being Nasty To Prowl's Other Amica thing. Do some of that Mild Respect business. Yep.* verdigrisprowl 8:52 pm We're watching a cop show. rulesandprotocol 8:52 pm *wraps Hunter in poncho so he's warm when he falls asleep* Osmond 8:52 pm Well I'm a fast study *smiles * so I'll try to catch up *nods to Soundwave as a gesture of mild respect * verdigrisprowl 8:52 pm It's episodic, you figure things out fast. cerebrosurgeon 8:52 pm [Oh, is that a Jazz? He doesn't know this Jazz, but he'll wave at him anyway. He's very absorbed in watching and missed anyone coming in.] rulesandprotocol 8:52 pm Hunter *puts entire hand into mouth as Prowl holds him so he can fall into recharge* opatoes 8:53 pm ... A group discount? MedicalMurdersaurus 8:53 pm Why you tie up baby? *grins* It a bad baby? NoodlesAtNight 8:53 pm *Damn. He nodded. Now he HAS to be nice.* rulesandprotocol 8:53 pm Nope he just needs to be warm MedicalMurdersaurus 8:53 pm *grins audio to audio* Me Swoop can WARM Osmond 8:53 pm *waves back but quickly notices other Prowl and a bundle * NoodlesAtNight 8:53 pm [[Ah. Does he require more warmth or will that be sufficient?]] thebestdecepticonleader 8:53 pm *whispering* Do you need someone to hold him while he sleeps? NoodlesAtNight 8:53 pm *Will break Swoop's beak off and feed it to him if he so much as hiccups smoke.* Swervester 8:54 pm [shoves a treat into Swoop's hand] Swoop tell me about Bird. rulesandprotocol 8:54 pm This should be fine, thanks for the offer thebestdecepticonleader 8:54 pm Because I do know how to look after babies If you need help MedicalMurdersaurus 8:55 pm *takes teh treat because it's there* UM! Uh. What about Bird? : > rulesandprotocol 8:55 pm If you want to hold him you can. thebestdecepticonleader 8:55 pm Really? Swervester 8:55 pm Tell me about Bird flying. Lieutenant10 8:55 pm Cosmos has his own stop it seems ((ASFHUIDSHFDS)) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:55 pm ((OH MY FUCKING GOD)) rulesandprotocol 8:56 pm Yeah you can hold him while he sleeps. Lieutenant10 8:56 pm (( SO SMOOTH )) Swervester 8:56 pm //lmao thebestdecepticonleader 8:56 pm *arms out* rulesandprotocol 8:56 pm *hands Hunter over to Starscream* Lieutenant10 8:56 pm ((She so cute )) rulesandprotocol 8:56 pm Hunter: *mutters lightly, removing hand from mouth* thebestdecepticonleader 8:57 pm *perfect hold for a baby* MedicalMurdersaurus 8:57 pm Oh! Her Bird really really maneuvering. Maneuverable. Her FAST and turn REALLY REALLY sharp! Keheh. Because little and LIGHT! *squeezes the treat a little and snickers* Except after BIG eating kehehhehehhh verdigrisprowl 8:57 pm I think there's probably a safer way to deal with large space debris than blowing it up. rulesandprotocol 8:57 pm Hunter *whines turns away from noise* thebestdecepticonleader 8:57 pm Like... moving the ship? NoodlesAtNight 8:57 pm [[Yes. Push it into someone else's sector and let them deal with it.]] thebestdecepticonleader 8:58 pm *gentle rocking* Swervester 8:58 pm //i enjoy that buzz is apparently a Good Customer verdigrisprowl 8:58 pm Or put it in an orbit around a star or planet where it isn't going to run into anything. Lieutenant10 8:58 pm Officer Lightyear is good verdigrisprowl 8:58 pm ... Well THAT didn't look natural. Swervester 8:58 pm Yeah? You fly with Bird, Swoop? verdigrisprowl 8:58 pm ((I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY GOT THAT IN)) Lieutenant10 8:58 pm ((ASSTEROID)) NoodlesAtNight 8:58 pm ((i missed it what was it)) thebestdecepticonleader 8:58 pm ((kick assteroid lol)) verdigrisprowl 8:59 pm (("kick some asteroid")) MedicalMurdersaurus 8:59 pm YAH! Lots of time. After movie sometime. There canyon by Dancitron. Us ZIP in there. It fun because FAST and dangerous. Swervester 8:59 pm Sounds fun. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:00 pm Yup. Me Swoop like CHASING buuuuuuuuuuuttttt Her a scardy bird Swervester 9:00 pm Why's that? MedicalMurdersaurus 9:00 pm Dunno. Her a scardy Bird always. NoodlesAtNight 9:00 pm *Slow look at Swoop.* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:00 pm *doesn't notice* Swervester 9:00 pm [squints] NoodlesAtNight 9:00 pm [[She is a courageous mech and you will say nothing to the contrary - or he will inform her of your opinion.]] Swervester 9:00 pm Ouch,. verdigrisprowl 9:00 pm See, this is why they shouldn't have blown them up. Osmond 9:01 pm More to deal with rulesandprotocol 9:02 pm Hunter * sneezes* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:02 pm *looks at Soundwave with big confused optics* But...... Her Bird IS a scardy Bird. Lieutenant10 9:02 pm Salude verdigrisprowl 9:02 pm Oh. This is an XR and Buzz episode. *pleased. his two favorites.* thebestdecepticonleader 9:02 pm This message has been removed. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:02 pm ((OMFG)) Swervester 9:02 pm Wow that head. NoodlesAtNight 9:02 pm [[She throws herself into battles when asked despite her misgivings. This makes her courageous. That is the end of the discussion.]] rulesandprotocol 9:03 pm It is probably a good thing she can float NoodlesAtNight 9:03 pm [[...Is the organic all right.]] Osmond 9:03 pm * briefly distracted by baby hunter noises. So cute* thebestdecepticonleader 9:03 pm Cute baby *cleans face in case of contaminants* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:03 pm *stares at Soundwave, completely caught off guard and confused about what is going on* verdigrisprowl 9:03 pm She seems to be fine with it. NoodlesAtNight 9:04 pm *...He supposes her powers would allow her to support a head that size on a neck that thin, so yes. He'll nod.* Lieutenant10 9:04 pm ((SNRK)) Osmond 9:04 pm Yikes... evidently she doesn't like mecha NoodlesAtNight 9:04 pm [[A good dungeon can be quite useful.]] verdigrisprowl 9:04 pm Evidently. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:04 pm *staaaaaaaaaaare* Lieutenant10 9:05 pm ((GIUWAD:SFUADHUSFD)) verdigrisprowl 9:05 pm ... Either that, or the organic prisoners rotted. Swervester 9:05 pm [nudges Swoop lightly] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:05 pm *nudges back but keeps staring at Soundwave* Osmond 9:05 pm Ah, good point. They do decay a lot faster than us thebestdecepticonleader 9:06 pm Organics can rot? Ew. NoodlesAtNight 9:06 pm [[Organics are in a constant state of rotting.]] verdigrisprowl 9:06 pm *shrugs* It just makes them softer. Swervester 9:06 pm Wow NoodlesAtNight 9:07 pm *Soundwave is no longer staring at Swoop* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:08 pm ((OH LORD)) opatoes 9:08 pm Hm. thebestdecepticonleader 9:08 pm But if they rot, then how do they still look whole? NoodlesAtNight 9:08 pm [[They rot in layers. The external ones die and flake away.]] thebestdecepticonleader 9:08 pm oh MedicalMurdersaurus 9:08 pm *keeps on staring because he doesn't understand what Soundwave's problem is* verdigrisprowl 9:08 pm *points at the screen* See that. Buzz's whole—complete failure to play along for the sake of this mission. cerebrosurgeon 9:08 pm [Wince.] It's not a pretty proces- Skeletal frameworks are more solid. thebestdecepticonleader 9:09 pm that's almost worse NoodlesAtNight 9:09 pm *Looking where Prowl is pointing.* [[Hm?]] verdigrisprowl 9:09 pm For anyone who's ever wondered—this is why I wasn't a field agent. Osmond 9:09 pm Yeah... he didn't do that all too well NoodlesAtNight 9:09 pm [[Ohh.]] SCProwl 9:09 pm He wouldn't be very good at undercover work. Swervester 9:09 pm I wouldn't be either. Lieutenant10 9:09 pm It is best left to more charismatic mechs Swervester 9:09 pm I'm a bad liar under pressure. Osmond 9:10 pm *was good at undercover * SCProwl 9:10 pm *was as well* verdigrisprowl 9:10 pm *and prowl appreciated it* rulesandprotocol 9:10 pm I never would have been good at UC work tried it once to help Wheelie with a target, it didn't end well. NoodlesAtNight 9:10 pm *At least he never has to worry about Prowl being the one to do that to him. ... Maybe the mech next to him.* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:11 pm *eventually can't handle focusing on one thing for so long and breaks his one sided staring contest with Soundwave* verdigrisprowl 9:11 pm *mumbles* Imagine an organic pet biting your hardline cable and hauling it all around a building. Awful. Swervester 9:12 pm [huffs] Osmond 9:12 pm Ah... yea, no thanks. NoodlesAtNight 9:12 pm *CRINGES LIKE HELL* *Maybe sorta. Pulls his arm in closer. Over the panel on his side. Yep.* Swervester 9:13 pm I'm concerned for her neck when they break her power. rulesandprotocol 9:13 pm as am I MedicalMurdersaurus 9:13 pm *has no idea what happened while he was staring* What her mad for? verdigrisprowl 9:13 pm I expect that she's got more than enough power to support herself—just not enough to take out Star Command alone. thebestdecepticonleader 9:13 pm ew MedicalMurdersaurus 9:13 pm Ew Lieutenant10 9:14 pm *heavy sighing* Primes, never let a mission turn out to be like this Osmond 9:14 pm Wait wait if she is fighting with pillows is it a pillow fight? MedicalMurdersaurus 9:14 pm ((OH MY GOD this isn't even subtle)) thebestdecepticonleader 9:14 pm I guess, bit one sided though Swervester 9:15 pm Was he even that shy earlier tho verdigrisprowl 9:15 pm He tripped all over his own name. thebestdecepticonleader 9:15 pm everyone gets shy around people they like though MedicalMurdersaurus 9:16 pm Us Dinobots NEVER shy! Lieutenant10 9:16 pm Duly noted thebestdecepticonleader 9:16 pm You will be one day, when you find someone you like verdigrisprowl 9:17 pm He has. He's not shy. opatoes 9:17 pm ((DSAXVC was that zim's va i zoned out and i swear i heard him NoodlesAtNight 9:17 pm [[Trust him. Swoop is not shy about that.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:17 pm *is weirdly proud of having people backign up how right he is* verdigrisprowl 9:17 pm ((... kinda sounds like him, don't it?)) rulesandprotocol 9:17 pm Some people just arent shy thebestdecepticonleader 9:17 pm Oh really, someone teach me how to not be shy Swervester 9:17 pm You do'nt look shy NoodlesAtNight 9:17 pm [[It is simple. Step one: Think of something you want to say or do. Step two: Do it.]] opatoes 9:17 pm ((there was one line that just. sounded exactly like him and it startled me thebestdecepticonleader 9:18 pm Romance is hard verdigrisprowl 9:18 pm *huff* Lieutenant10 9:18 pm Be extremely stubborn and deny any feelings you think you might have rulesandprotocol 9:18 pm It really is. Romance is a long complicated game. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:18 pm Be a Dinobot : > Lieutenant10 9:18 pm Or be a Dinobot SCProwl 9:19 pm Don't tell people you're shy. thebestdecepticonleader 9:19 pm I can lead an army with no trouble, but once I have to speak to the person I like... MedicalMurdersaurus 9:19 pm You suck kehehehh Swervester 9:19 pm I like how he emphasizes that he's evil emperor and not just a regular one. verdigrisprowl 9:19 pm No rubble left behind. thebestdecepticonleader 9:19 pm Probably would have been easier if my first target of affection wasn't Megatron verdigrisprowl 9:19 pm I bet they're teleported. Lieutenant10 9:20 pm Likely MedicalMurdersaurus 9:20 pm Gross! verdigrisprowl 9:20 pm *disgusted look* Swervester 9:20 pm Probably. cerebrosurgeon 9:20 pm Well, there's your problem. SCProwl 9:20 pm Oh. The problem isn't that you're shy, Starscream. It's that you have no taste. thebestdecepticonleader 9:20 pm He's not any more NoodlesAtNight 9:20 pm [[Consider this instead, then: Find a companion who likes getting orders. Discuss the possibility with them. If they agree, lead them.]] Swervester 9:20 pm [holds face] thebestdecepticonleader 9:20 pm I have other... interests now NoodlesAtNight 9:20 pm *Turns his head away so nobody can see him trying not to be amused by his timeline's Prowl* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:21 pm Me Swoop love Her Bird! Her the best! verdigrisprowl 9:21 pm *mumbles at Soundwave* Well, worked for you. Swervester 9:21 pm .... Hm. NoodlesAtNight 9:21 pm *P O K E R F A C E* rulesandprotocol 9:22 pm Hunter *sighs and starts sucking thumb digit doors laying flat against his back optics off* thebestdecepticonleader 9:23 pm ew NoodlesAtNight 9:23 pm @P: [[A /metonymy/ worked for him - but feel free to swap positions next time if you would like a change of pace.]] verdigrisprowl 9:24 pm @S «... Oh, right, I did talk about the metonymy when I was drunk.» MedicalMurdersaurus 9:25 pm mAAAAAAAAAARvalous kehehhehhehh Swervester 9:25 pm Do we ever get a backstory for his evil? Does he have a reason or is he jusdt evil for evil sake NoodlesAtNight 9:26 pm @P: [[You did.]] *Light nudge. He's entertained, not upset.* [[He is thankful for that documentary's existence.]] thebestdecepticonleader 9:26 pm Because it's fun MedicalMurdersaurus 9:26 pm Him Zerg awesome verdigrisprowl 9:26 pm He suggests it's a family job. Swervester 9:26 pm Oh. Osmond 9:26 pm A family job to be evil? Interesting career choice thebestdecepticonleader 9:26 pm Better than Megatron's reason at least MedicalMurdersaurus 9:26 pm KAHAHHAH nice Swervester 9:26 pm I still can't tell if he's a robot or an organicv in armor. verdigrisprowl 9:26 pm The emperor thing, I meant. He talks about the legacy left by his ancestors. Planet Z has probably been ruled by Zurgs for a long time. Swervester 9:26 pm Ah MedicalMurdersaurus 9:27 pm "Any means necessary" is FUN : > verdigrisprowl 9:29 pm ... Is her species telepathic, too? cerebrosurgeon 9:29 pm [Ah. Hm. Swerve's getting leaned on, that's a little close to home.] rulesandprotocol 9:29 pm must be only reason that type of thinking would work. Swervester 9:29 pm [leans back] Lieutenant10 9:29 pm That would impressive cerebrosurgeon 9:30 pm [Excellent. This is some prime leaning content.] verdigrisprowl 9:30 pm ... For the record, a 167-hour workweek gives them a single hour off a week. thebestdecepticonleader 9:30 pm wow rulesandprotocol 9:30 pm organics need sleep right? usually a lot of it an hour isn't nearly enough. Lieutenant10 9:30 pm Well. That is, thoughtful... verdigrisprowl 9:30 pm What did I say. Teleporter. thebestdecepticonleader 9:31 pm Unless they have a different time system verdigrisprowl 9:31 pm This is translated. rulesandprotocol 9:31 pm but I guess they could be on duty all the time - even when they are sleeping. thebestdecepticonleader 9:31 pm But then why leave out the one hour Lieutenant10 9:32 pm Those planets should not be that close together rulesandprotocol 9:32 pm mandatory possibly? thebestdecepticonleader 9:32 pm That is... weird but I guess rulesandprotocol 9:32 pm like they have to have one hour where they aren't on call? opatoes 9:32 pm ... Did she swear verdigrisprowl 9:33 pm Torture's less effective if there isn't a hope for a temporary reprieve? MedicalMurdersaurus 9:33 pm *rolls onto his back* verdigrisprowl 9:34 pm Good job, there, shooting their own equipment. thebestdecepticonleader 9:34 pm I don't know, I've had both temporary and unending torture and... temporary gives you too much hope verdigrisprowl 9:34 pm *ugh, Prowl sees where this is going.* *leans toward Soundwave* thebestdecepticonleader 9:34 pm *turns away* NoodlesAtNight 9:35 pm *Leans against. He's here.* Lieutenant10 9:35 pm .... Did Did he just preform mnemosurgery? On an organic? MedicalMurdersaurus 9:35 pm *puts his hands over hsi helm and pushes up to be a bridge* NoodlesAtNight 9:35 pm [[It would appear so.]] verdigrisprowl 9:35 pm Mhm. Osmond 9:35 pm *glances at Prowl with a flicker of concern * thebestdecepticonleader 9:35 pm Is it over? verdigrisprowl 9:35 pm It's over. Swervester 9:35 pm [sighs] Lieutenant10 9:35 pm *rubs his face* thebestdecepticonleader 9:36 pm *turns around* verdigrisprowl 9:36 pm ... Never mind. NoodlesAtNight 9:36 pm [[Yes. One is your hand.]] thebestdecepticonleader 9:36 pm 😕 verdigrisprowl 9:37 pm Last one for the night. NoodlesAtNight 9:37 pm *He liked her better when she just phase shifted through things.* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:37 pm *walks his feet closer to his hands until he can juuuuust sort of roll up into being standing up* verdigrisprowl 9:37 pm *he likes her better when she does that too* NoodlesAtNight 9:37 pm *Non-brain things.* Swervester 9:38 pm At least they're not altering memories I guess? [not much of a consolation, probably] verdigrisprowl 9:38 pm *stiffly* Not much better. thebestdecepticonleader 9:38 pm Do we know for certain that it didn't? Swervester 9:39 pm Is that the brother? verdigrisprowl 9:39 pm That's the brother. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:39 pm *faces the group* This boring sit blahblah talk time movie. Us go *throws his arms up* DO STUFF! verdigrisprowl 9:39 pm No. rulesandprotocol 9:39 pm Hunter *jumps started by nosie cries* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:39 pm *snaps his head around to look at the crying* thebestdecepticonleader 9:40 pm *more rocking and cooing* verdigrisprowl 9:40 pm *Swoop made a baby cry, he is THIS close to getting bridged out.* NoodlesAtNight 9:40 pm *Facepalms.* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:40 pm *walks over to look at the source of all this noise* thebestdecepticonleader 9:40 pm No little one, it's okay rulesandprotocol 9:40 pm *digs through subspace pulls out random sparkling items until finding pacifire and places into Hunter mouth* Osmond 9:41 pm *lightly glares a Swoop, and checks time * oops, got a late night gig. I'll catch y'all later? (( I'm going to call it a night y'all! Sorry for being late, and everyone take care!! Lieutenant10 9:41 pm (( Night night )) NoodlesAtNight 9:41 pm ((aaaaa goodnight!)) verdigrisprowl 9:41 pm Later, Jazz. thebestdecepticonleader 9:41 pm Do you want Hunter back? verdigrisprowl 9:41 pm ... Where is the gig? thebestdecepticonleader 9:41 pm ((night rulesandprotocol 9:41 pm Yeah I'll take him back. NoodlesAtNight 9:41 pm [[...Why are you gagging the sparkling? It is not his fault he is crying.]] rulesandprotocol 9:41 pm //Night Jazz cerebrosurgeon 9:41 pm 〈Night!〉 thebestdecepticonleader 9:42 pm *gently places them in his arms* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:42 pm *has no sense of personal space and all the sense of entitled curiosity so he attempts to stick his face right up next to Hunter* Osmond 9:42 pm Hm? Just Mirage's place. Familiar ground to start *smiles * catch ya around. thebestdecepticonleader 9:42 pm Thank you for letting me hold them, it was wondeful Osmond 9:42 pm *salutes and leaves * verdigrisprowl 9:42 pm ... Maybe I'll come by after this. NoodlesAtNight 9:42 pm *Takes note of where Jazz's gig is in the back of his mind* rulesandprotocol 9:42 pm It's a pacifier, *moves crying Hunter away from Swoop attempting to keep the pacifire in his mouth* rulesandprotocol 9:43 pm its supposed to be healthier for him than sucking on his hand, its a comfort thing I guess. MedicalMurdersaurus 9:43 pm *walks around to try to keep looking at the baby* Why him a cry baby? rulesandprotocol 9:43 pm Because its the only way he can communicate his dsipleasure right now thebestdecepticonleader 9:43 pm Because all babies cry MedicalMurdersaurus 9:43 pm Why NoodlesAtNight 9:43 pm *Hmm. As long as it's comforting and not a cruelty. He'll settle down.* rulesandprotocol 9:43 pm and your welcome starscream. thank you for holding him for a whiel. verdigrisprowl 9:43 pm Because you were loud. thebestdecepticonleader 9:43 pm It tells you that they need something thebestdecepticonleader 9:44 pm In this case, that they were being scared and needed comfort MedicalMurdersaurus 9:44 pm Me Swoop not being LOUD Lieutenant10 9:44 pm Oh no NoodlesAtNight 9:44 pm [[Again?]] opatoes 9:44 pm Uh. verdigrisprowl 9:44 pm *winces* Swervester 9:44 pm Jeez thebestdecepticonleader 9:44 pm *looking away* verdigrisprowl 9:44 pm *winces harder* cerebrosurgeon 9:44 pm /Yikes./ rulesandprotocol 9:44 pm *shutters* Swervester 9:45 pm Her hands are suddenly ten times more threatening. rulesandprotocol 9:45 pm *pats Hunters back* Hunter*calms to sniffles* MedicalMurdersaurus 9:45 pm *doesn't notice the show at all and tries to touch Hunter's face* verdigrisprowl 9:45 pm *guess who's getting bridged?* *it's Swoop* Lieutenant10 9:45 pm That was unnecessary and a violation rulesandprotocol 9:45 pm Hunter *scrunches face whines* NoodlesAtNight 9:45 pm *Leans harder into Prowl's shoulder. He'll be any kind of support that's needed.*

[[Thank you for protecting the newbuild.]] MedicalMurdersaurus 9:45 pm *WHOOP no more swoop* Swervester 9:45 pm //wait didn't they meet him before thebestdecepticonleader 9:45 pm Let me know if he needs anything that I can get him, anything at all verdigrisprowl 9:45 pm ((we skipped around to watch all the Nos-4-A2 shows)) Swervester 9:45 pm //oh opkay lmao. that explains it verdigrisprowl 9:46 pm ((this is XL's first chronological appearance)) cerebrosurgeon 9:46 pm 〈Wheezes〉 verdigrisprowl 9:46 pm ((from here on out we'll be watching them in order, I just wanted to watch the Nos ones first lol)) thebestdecepticonleader 9:46 pm Especially to help him stay calm Swervester 9:46 pm //lmao makes sense rulesandprotocol 9:47 pm We'll be okay *pats runs digits over Hunters door wings* verdigrisprowl 9:47 pm ... It's unfortunate that he's so determined to win the approval of someone so mechaphobic. thebestdecepticonleader 9:47 pm To be honest, I see why he's upset rulesandprotocol 9:47 pm Hunter *calms more to mostly hiccups* opatoes 9:47 pm Indeed. It's upsetting. Swervester 9:48 pm That poor desk. verdigrisprowl 9:48 pm "Lousy robots," he says, while one robot is trying to defend him from another. NoodlesAtNight 9:48 pm [[What fool does not change the security codes when someone who has them goes rogue?]] verdigrisprowl 9:48 pm That desk took on a giant war machine. He has NO gratitude. rulesandprotocol 9:48 pm that shoud be a criminal offense not changing the codes NoodlesAtNight 9:48 pm [[And that is a brave, brave desk.]] verdigrisprowl 9:48 pm Maybe the security codes auto-shuffle but the bots know the auto-shuffle algorithm. rulesandprotocol 9:49 pm possibly, but then change the algorithm opatoes 9:49 pm ... thebestdecepticonleader 9:49 pm Maybe people go rogue too often for them to reasonably do that? Lieutenant10 9:49 pm Days behind his paperwork! How could he Swervester 9:49 pm I'd like to rescue that desk. verdigrisprowl 9:49 pm Disgraceful. NoodlesAtNight 9:50 pm [[As would he. It would be a valuable employee in any office environment.]] Swervester 9:50 pm I think Magnus would appreciate it way more than this guy verdigrisprowl 9:50 pm *I'd* appreciate it. Swervester 9:50 pm True. NoodlesAtNight 9:50 pm [[Agreed.]] Swervester 9:51 pm //do u think anyone's ever rped the desk verdigrisprowl 9:51 pm ((I BET THEY HAVEN'T)) NoodlesAtNight 9:51 pm ((omg)) Swervester 9:51 pm //someone should verdigrisprowl 9:51 pm He just.... constantly insults him. For being mechanical. It's vile. cerebrosurgeon 9:52 pm 〈Tempting muse-〉 Swervester 9:52 pm //i mean yes lmao thebestdecepticonleader 9:52 pm I would totally rebel against this guy, at least he isn't as bad as Megatron, but he's pretty bad verdigrisprowl 9:52 pm He shouldn't be in charge of a law enforcement agency. There are so many mechanical citizens in this galaxy, how can he be trusted to adequately serve them? He won't even HIRE them. NoodlesAtNight 9:52 pm *Hm. Nice maneuver, there.* rulesandprotocol 9:53 pm thats a good point Lieutenant10 9:53 pm Talk about glass ceilings with that Commander. Swervester 9:53 pm I guess he's dedicated enough to his job that he'll serve them fairly regardless of feelings? I can't imagine any other reason that isn't favoritism verdigrisprowl 9:53 pm No, I doubt it. Swervester 9:53 pm He could stand to be less phobic regardless. thebestdecepticonleader 9:54 pm Absolutely NoodlesAtNight 9:54 pm [[Perhaps they should try knocking.]] Swervester 9:54 pm Please XR verdigrisprowl 9:54 pm Looks too bouncy to knock on. verdigrisprowl 9:55 pm Ooh. /Nice/ cables. NoodlesAtNight 9:55 pm [[Rather.]] thebestdecepticonleader 9:55 pm Honestly this guy is me Swervester 9:55 pm I question why they didn't just fix his program errors that sent him rogue instead of offlining him. Or trying to offline. Swervester 9:56 pm ll of it. verdigrisprowl 9:56 pm Mechaphobia. Lieutenant10 9:56 pm *siiiiighs* Swervester 9:56 pm Low bar, XR. verdigrisprowl 9:57 pm He's so desperate for acknowledgment of any kind. Swervester 9:57 pm Oof. verdigrisprowl 9:57 pm ... Both of them are. thebestdecepticonleader 9:58 pm That's gross opatoes 9:58 pm ... He doesn't have a heart, though. Lieutenant10 9:58 pm He does not deserve that kind of treatment *but understands that immensely* rulesandprotocol 9:58 pm that was a fun movie well show verdigrisprowl 9:58 pm We'll be watching more next time. thebestdecepticonleader 9:58 pm mhm NoodlesAtNight 9:58 pm [[Good! He enjoys most of it.]] Lieutenant10 9:59 pm ((The show was made when I was 4yrs old)) (( Damn)) NoodlesAtNight 9:59 pm [[It is a fascinating look into organic enforcing work.]] rulesandprotocol 9:59 pm it really is. NoodlesAtNight 9:59 pm ((y'all makin me feel old now)) opatoes 9:59 pm Thank you for showing this, Prowl. ((wait what year is this show SCProwl 9:59 pm It is nice to see something with slightly less police corruption than the Gotham show. *slightly* Lieutenant10 9:59 pm (( 2000 rulesandprotocol 9:59 pm //I was like 7 Swervester 9:59 pm //iirc i was old enough to watch toy story's debut verdigrisprowl 10:00 pm And especially on the cusp of letting mechanicals into the force. They don't touch on the implications much directly, but it's an historic occasion and you can feel the implications. opatoes 10:00 pm ((... oh, i was like 5 i think?)) verdigrisprowl 10:00 pm ((i was 9 or 10)) thebestdecepticonleader 10:00 pm ((oh wow, now I feel old, I was 8)) NoodlesAtNight 10:00 pm ((i was almost out of high school at the cartoon's premiere... ahaha)) Swervester 10:00 pm //same Swervester 10:00 pm //i left highschool 7 years later lmao Lieutenant10 10:00 pm (( Damn, I wasn't EVEN 4, I was 3 when the show aired)) verdigrisprowl 10:00 pm ((this was my thing in 4th grade)) NoodlesAtNight 10:00 pm ((y'all young'ns! get off my apartment complex's lawn *shakes a cane* )) cerebrosurgeon 10:01 pm [Now that he's not distracted, he can actually take stock of who all is arou- Are there two of that guy. Is the holomatter thing happening again. Swerve's being prodded about this.] Swervester 10:01 pm //i was 11 when it aired first thebestdecepticonleader 10:01 pm ((the show didn't air here for a long time though, I was almost in high school)) Lieutenant10 10:01 pm (( Pfffft )) Swervester 10:01 pm [leans at Cerebros questioningly] opatoes 10:01 pm ((i dont think i ever watched disney channel at that time though, i only knew the numbers for cartoon network and nick at the time asdxcv NoodlesAtNight 10:01 pm [[He cannot help that Gotham's police force is mostly corrupted. That is one of the main reasons the Batman becomes necessary.]] thebestdecepticonleader 10:01 pm ((Australia gets all tv shows really late, especially back then)) cerebrosurgeon 10:01 pm The- [Oh. It's gone.] Never mind. cerebrosurgeon 10:02 pm 〈We can't go one stream without something weird happening, can we〉 opatoes 10:02 pm ((oh! and animal planet. mostly because they were right next to each other SCProwl 10:02 pm ((legit trying to remember if Prowl's seen anything with Batman in it suddenly thebestdecepticonleader 10:02 pm ((Okay I have to go, night everyone)) Swervester 10:02 pm //i'm debating airing batman animated series on thursdays since i can't find a working version of extinct or alive that works on rabbit rulesandprotocol 10:03 pm *stands with a somewhat cranky Hunter* We should probably get going. NoodlesAtNight 10:03 pm ((goodnight! and AAAAAAAAH i would be there with bells on)) cerebrosurgeon 10:03 pm 〈Night!〉 rulesandprotocol 10:03 pm //bye guys opatoes 10:03 pm ((i was thinking of maybe doing batman beyond asdxcvnmbv we all do batman Lieutenant10 10:03 pm Farewell thebestdecepticonleader 10:03 pm Okay, comm me if he needs any help though verdigrisprowl 10:03 pm Evening, alternate. Good to see you. cerebrosurgeon 10:03 pm 〈I have a boxset of Beyond I should stream somet- Hello〉 verdigrisprowl 10:03 pm ((every stream running a different batman show at the same time.)) Swervester 10:03 pm //i'll have to find a working youtube copy of it and i can start next week lmao NoodlesAtNight 10:03 pm *ooc vibrating through floor in delight*)) opatoes 10:03 pm ((that would be hilarious adsxcb Swervester 10:03 pm /'/lmao SCProwl 10:03 pm ((i approve opatoes 10:04 pm ((wait youtube? i know watchcartoononline works on rabbit- is it not on there Swervester 10:04 pm //oh is it opatoes 10:04 pm ((i've never had problems with it? Swervester 10:04 pm //if it is then i can stream it from there. i haven't watched tas in ages that was always my fav batman opatoes 10:04 pm ((YEAH SAME it's good!! opatoes 10:05 pm ((i kinda wanna do batman beyond just because i like the concept and i think it just celebrated like... it's 10th or 20th birthday recently? Swervester 10:05 pm //i'll bookmark the page tonight so i can pull it up next thursday cerebrosurgeon 10:05 pm 〈Animated is Very Good. Beyond's my personal favourite. Twentieth!!〉 verdigrisprowl 10:05 pm ((20th birthday)) cerebrosurgeon 10:05 pm 〈Happy Birthday Terry Mcginnis, my favourite boy〉 opatoes 10:05 pm ((man i can't believe it aired in 1998 ((wati 1999 Swervester 10:05 pm //i never watched all of it bc it tended to air while i was still on my way home fro school and i'd only get home in time for the ending NoodlesAtNight 10:06 pm ((animated, gotham, both tim burtons, and then the one with the long haired riddler voiced by robert englund. everything else shares all the space right behind that)) cerebrosurgeon 10:06 pm 〈And it's /still/ gorgeous- You need to! You should read the original comics.〉 opatoes 10:06 pm ((the only show i have vivid memories of watching as a kid as much as possible was hamtaro and no one will ever want me to marathon that 😔 NoodlesAtNight 10:06 pm ((man it's your stream do what u want)) Swervester 10:06 pm //tbf i would lao cerebrosurgeon 10:06 pm 〈Every BBeyond comic after New 52 is... A trainwreck. Hamtaro Good〉 Swervester 10:06 pm //i liked hamtaro as a kid but i've never gone looking for it SCProwl 10:06 pm ((tempted to stream Avengers Assemble just to be contrary opatoes 10:07 pm ((adsxcvbvn maybe one day then,, i wouldn't mind watching at least all the english dubbed episodes NoodlesAtNight 10:07 pm ((PFFF)) *Soundwave's going to sneak clean while everyone's doing what they do.* verdigrisprowl 10:07 pm ... All right. Every time we stay late, weird things start happening in here. So we're not staying late tonight. opatoes 10:07 pm ((but there's like 296 episodes so i know i could never show all of it cerebrosurgeon 10:07 pm [Nodding.] Good plan. verdigrisprowl 10:07 pm I'm not tempting fate. opatoes 10:07 pm ... May I take a few drinks, Prowl? Swervester 10:07 pm //we can try anyway lmao SCProwl 10:07 pm *Prowl's going to leave because mun can't focus for shit tonight. appropriate goodbyes were probably made* Swervester 10:07 pm OH good point. verdigrisprowl 10:08 pm Sure. Just don't take the green stuff. It has to be specially transported. opatoes 10:08 pm ... What is the green stuff? Swervester 10:08 pm See y'all next movie nights then. Lieutenant10 10:08 pm *Is just going to borrow a few books and* */book/ it* verdigrisprowl 10:08 pm Mixmaster's. NoodlesAtNight 10:08 pm *...Now wants to take the green stuff to find out what it does.* verdigrisprowl 10:08 pm ((*rimshot*)) opatoes 10:08 pm ... Mixmasters? Is it safe to drink? NoodlesAtNight 10:08 pm ((lmao the books)) cerebrosurgeon 10:08 pm Thanks for hosting, Prowl. Night everyone. verdigrisprowl 10:08 pm Yes, but it has to be specially transported. verdigrisprowl 10:09 pm Evening. Lieutenant10 10:09 pm (( I have to get in at least one pun per movie night attended)) opatoes 10:09 pm ... How so? Swervester 10:09 pm Night! /sidles out after putting his chair neatly where it should go opatoes 10:09 pm I assume I shouldn't take a sip, though? NoodlesAtNight 10:09 pm *Nods goodnight to everyone. He heard Prowl say he was going to Jazz's gig, and he suspects that's supposed to be their own time - he'll finish cleaning, get a quick bunt-kiss, and move on, unless told otherwise.* verdigrisprowl 10:09 pm It's got a shock-absorbing cooler. *points at the cooler under the desk.* Sure, you can take a sip. Just don't transport it. opatoes 10:09 pm ... I suppose my tanks are fine for the transportation process, then. opatoes 10:10 pm /Smokescreen's taking a chug of the drink, before getting ready to head off./ verdigrisprowl 10:11 pm *collects up the drinks that need to be taken back, bridges the chairs back into place, and returns the bunt-kiss* verdigrisprowl 10:13 pm ... You wanted to catch me before the show. For something particular, or just to see me? NoodlesAtNight 10:14 pm *Pauses just in front of the bridge that would lead him out.* [[...A little of both - but he does not want to keep you from your appointment. He will tell you Monday.]] verdigrisprowl 10:14 pm I don't have an appointment, I have an idle speculation. What is it? NoodlesAtNight 10:16 pm *Considers snapping the bridge closed - but the dragon left more snacks than usual this time. They can afford to burn a little extra energon, just once.*

[[...He was thinking of fully finishing his return to how he looked before. Red instead of indigo.]] verdigrisprowl 10:17 pm *considers this* ... Your teeth will match my paint job better. NoodlesAtNight 10:21 pm *His mouth drops into a tiny o shape before breaking into a very wide and open grin*

[[That settles it, then, doesn't it.]] *Nodding.* [[It will take a while to heal. The protometal must be treated a certain way to prevent it from hardening where it is welded. He thought that might be important to know, given our respective lines of work.]] verdigrisprowl 10:22 pm *huff* That wasn't supposed to be an argument in favor of it. But all right. And, noted. Let me know when you'll be vulnerable. NoodlesAtNight 10:23 pm [[He will see favorable arguments where he does. And - very well. He shall.]] *Another pause, longer than the other.* [[...Thank you.]] *For a lot of things.* verdigrisprowl 10:25 pm *for what, exactly? Prowl's best guess is the implicit offer to watch over him while he's vulnerable.* Of course. NoodlesAtNight 10:27 pm *For not treating the paint job changes like a huge deal or throwing a fit about the colors, for not scolding him for putting himself in danger to do this, for the offer, for a dozen other things there isn't time or space to write.*

[[All right. He will return home now. Appointments to set. Enjoy your evening, Prowl.]] verdigrisprowl 10:27 pm I will. *... after leaning in for another brief kiss.* NoodlesAtNight 10:28 pm *Which he is more than happy to return. Extra nibble. Just to remind him of something he can look forward to in the future.*

*And then he's on his way.* verdigrisprowl 10:29 pm *this new half visor is very convenient.* *and Prowl's on his way as well.*

#chat

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collegeburnoutsuperstar · 4 years ago

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December 2020 Book Recommendations

Way back in March at the very start of quarantine I did a little quarantine-read book rec list. We are now almost through December and we are still in quarantine, so here’s an updated book rec post to help you through a socially distanced winter break and holiday season.

Non-Fiction:

Contemporary Fiction:

Historical Fiction:

Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy:

Young Adult Science-Fiction & Fantasy:

Middle-Grade/Children’s Fiction:

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bemorechillifries · 6 years ago

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dreams

Fire.

He wonders if everyone will make it out safely.

Well, other than him, he supposes. He'll burn to ash and even his soul won't make it out okay, not after everything he's done, and then he'll never stop burning and burning and burning andburningandburningandburningandburningand--

Rich's eyes snap open, jolting upright and kicking himself free of the sheets, a scream perched on the edge of his lips. Awake, he's awake, he supposes, but if he's awake then why can he still feel flames licking scalding tongues across his skin, why can he taste the smoke clogging his lungs, why can he still smell himself burning, why is he still burningburningburning--

Cold.

Cold water against hot, clammy skin. Shower. He's in the shower, icy water making the tile slick under his hands. How did he get here? He doesn't remember anything, only fire.

He doesn't move, doesn't do any of the normal shower procedures. He just stands there, staring blankly down at the faucet, letting the freezing water soothe his skin while the sound soothes his mind. He pretends it's rain, his own personal thunderstorm to settle his thoughts, put out the fire in his head.

He chuckles bitterly under his breath. He may be out of the fire, but the fire's sure as fuck not out of him. It's trapped beneath his skin, smoke stuck in the slight rasp of his voice.

When he finally starts to register how fucking cold the water actually is, he shuts it off, drying himself quickly so he can sprint back to bed in his boxers. He's not settled enough to actually go back to sleep yet, so he just tucks himself in and picks up his phone to scroll through Instagram.

420 gay: 1 missed call (23 minutes ago)

The part of his brain that equates late night phone calls to emergency has him dialling back before he really realizes it. But then again, this is Michael, who usually sends memes to the chat at 3 in the morning, Michael whose sleep schedule can only be considered that by the vaguest definition. Michael picks up on the third ring, a conversation already sliding from his lips before he even takes his finger off the answer button.

"--ey, you are awake! Dude, I just saw this thing and I figured you'd wanna hear about it, 'cause you like, like, true crime stuff, right?"

"Are you saying you called me at 2:04 AM to tell me about an unsolved murder case?" Rich raises an eyebrow, even though Michael won't be able to see it, amusement lacing his voice.

"Yes. Although I actually called you at like...1 something. 1:40? I dunno. A while ago."

"Michael."

"Richard."

"I'm pretty sure you're my soulmate."

Michael laughs. "Because I'm about to tell you about an unsolved murder case from 50 years ago?"

"Absolutely. But if you don't hurry up and tell me about the case, I'll have to take that back. You'll be downgraded to Regular Friend again."

Michael gasps dramatically. "Fine, fine! Okay, so. There's this guy, right?"

"Let me guess. He gets murdered."

"Are you gonna let me tell you or are you gonna interrupt every two seconds?"

"Depends on how interesting this case is." Of course, he thinks everything that comes out of Michael's mouth is interesting, but whatever.

Michael scoffs. "Why would I call you at 2 AM if it wasn't interesting?"

"Because you wanted to hear my voi-- I can hear you rolling your eyes already, at least let me finish the sentence!"

"Shut up and let me tell you about the case!" They're both laughing quietly at this point.

Michael continues excitedy telling him about the case. Rich listens with the same amount of enthusiasm. The case really is interesting, but he still interrupts every so often with his own little comments. He wouldn't be Richard Goranski if he didn't. He forgets about smoke covered dreams and fire eating him alive. His thoughts are red and warm and no longer scalding, consuming him.

Eventually they fall into comfortable silence. His eyelids start to grow heavy again and he nestles more deeply into his pillows.

"D'you have, like," he interrupts himself with a yawn, "some kinda sensor or something?"

"Huh?" Michael sounds sleepier himself. Or maybe he's just confused. Rich can't tell. Brain's not on.

"Y'know, like -- like some kinda sixth sense or something? For when I'm not doin' so hot?" Hehe. Hot. Fire. Burning. Hot. He was hilarious and he didn't even have to try.

"What?" Now Michael definitely sounds confused. Rich can hear the little crease forming between his eyebrows as they draw together in his "I am confusion" face.

"'Cause you always seem to find me when I'm havin' a shit time. Can't think how else you'd do it," Rich mumbles. He isn't even sure if Michael can hear him, much less understand what he's going on about. He himself isn't even sure what he's saying anymore.

"I do?" Michael sounds surprised, maybe a little amused at Rich's late night (early morning?) ramblings. "Is that-- does it-- Huh. I didn't know." A pause. "...Are you okay?"

"Mm? Yeah, I'm good, dude." Rich shaked himself awake, rubbing his eyes. "Just kinda...like I'm gonna fall asleep soon. What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, are you okay?"

Michael chuckles softly into the receiver. "Yeah, I'm fine. Less high, more tired." He pauses again. He's doing that a lot, Rich thinks. He only does that when he has something he wants to say but isn't really sure how to say it, or even if he should. "...I was asking because, you know, you said I always find you when you're having a shit time and, like. That implies that you were having a shit time earlier? But you said you're good now so I guess it doesn't matter now, right? Oh God, I mean, not that it doesn't matter but just--"

Ah. There it is.

"Whoa, Mikey, breathe." Rich figures it's okay to cut him off this time. "I just had a nightmare earlier is all. PTSD bullshit or somethin'. Fire and all that. And I was too worked up to even try sleeping after." He picks at a loose thread on his pillowcase, focusing on that instead of wondering what Michael's expression might be, or if he's saying too much. "But talking about a bloody hotel murder from the 50s really calmed me the fuck down."

Humor and swearing. The best defense mechanisms.

Michael snorts at that, but Rich feels the weird, heavy atmosphere lift. "I mean. Who wouldn't calm down after that?"

"That's what I'm saying!"

There's another pause before Michael takes a breath and says, "Just call me next time, okay? I mean, I'm always up anyway, so, like. Might as well, y'know?"

"'S long as you tell me about another murder," Rich mumbles, stretching and rolling onto his side.

"You still sound like you're about to fall asleep." Michael is smirking. Rich can tell.

"Nahhhh."

"Dude, go to bed. Only I am allowed to be up at ungodly hours of the night."

"Okay, Daddy. Goodnight."

Michael makes a gagging noise. "Gross."

"Don't kinkshame me! I don't kinkshame you for your vore shit!"

"You're right. We must band together against the true evil. Jeremy and his fursuit."

Rich cackles unattractively, Michael's laugh mixing in to create the best melody Rich has ever heard.

Okay, damn, that was cheesy, Goranski. Wow.

Rich is asleep before the call ended screen fades away. He dreams of gentle fingers against rough scars, of guiding a hand slowly to his cheek and chocolate eyes widening under thick lashes and even thicker lens, red cheeks and red hoodies and red slushies. He still wakes up burning, but this one whispers love instead of war.

#be more chill #bmc musical #be more chill musical #bmc #fic #chillifries writes #expensive headphones #richard goranski #rich goranski #bmc rich #bmc michael #michael mell #i am so sorry #but you know i'm not lmao #a n g s t #and then fluff #rich set a fire #and he got ptsd #whoa

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maevefiction · 6 years ago

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Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 40

We wound up staying at Diana’s until Sunday, then headed home to the chaos that awaited us. My gift for Tom had been well received, the shades of red he’d turned much like watching a tomato ripening in a time lapse video. We decide to wait until he was done filming to have our playtime, hoping things would be a smidge less stressful and that we’d actually have plenty of time to just fuck around. Literally, as the case happened to be. He’d given me a leather lingerie set, complete with crotch-less panties and a corset that I knew would turn my boobs into a squishy shelf…but the best part was the policeman-style cap, which I’d been wearing around the house to torment him.

Monday was spent in the office with Trudy, testing and testing and testing again, over and over, until any bugs we’d found were worked out. As far as we could discern, we were ready to roll. After the security company was done installing everything on Tuesday, it was time to go live with the group of 50 we’d chosen as beta testers. Luke, who’d left at noon with Simon to take care of the final wedding prep tasks, texted me more than two dozen times to express his amazement as he delved into Manageall’s features before, I assumed, Simon took his phone away from him. Radio silence ensued until midnight, when Simon came knocking at the door in a full blown panic because he wasn’t certain his shoes were the same shade of white as his suit. It took me more than an hour to convince him that they were, in fact, the same, and he wrapped me in a grateful embrace and finally left me to get some rest, Tom already in bed and snoring.

The office was officially closed for the next five days, so on Wednesday, when I wasn’t practicing singing, I pretended to not be working while I was actually working until it was time for the quiet dinner we’d planned at Luke and Simon’s. It was just the four of us, plus Roland, who was an absolute delight. We bonded over movies, music and tech and as we were leaving he gave me a tentative hug, blushing furiously afterward, Simon whispering in my ear shortly thereafter that it looked like SOMEONE had a quickly developed a wicked crush on me.

New Year’s Eve dawned crisp and clear, and Simon and I took a late-afternoon cab ride to Searcys so we could check in and make sure everything was exactly as it should be. We entered the Gherkin, and he grabbed my hand as we got into the elevator, his skin clammy.

“This is happening. It’s happening. I can’t believe it. It’s incredible. I’m so…happy. Also, I’m pretty sure I’m dying.”

I laughed. “You’ll be fine. Everything’s going to be fine. Fine.”

His eyes narrowed. “If that was your attempt at assuaging my nerves…LAME. SO LAME.”

“You think you’re the only one with nerves? I cannot, for the life of me, get the last part of the song right. Because I am not Nina Simone. My scatting SUCKS. SO HARD.”

He released my hand in order to poke me in the shoulder. “I AM GETTING MARRIED AND YOU ARE COMPARING YOUR NERVES WITH MINE?”

“Actually I’m trying to distract you, asshat. Not working, is it?”

“No. Do you have any booze?”

The elevator doors opened, and as we stepped into the room he burst into tears. The round tables were all in place, forming a ring around the room with the center reserved for dancing, with an open spot on the far side of the room where the DJ had begun setting up. They were covered in charcoal grey cloths that matched the gentlemen of the wedding party’s suits, peppered with silver stars, glossy black circular Lucite slabs resting atop them. The centerpieces were twelve silver cylinders arranged in a ring, each with two white roses wound together in them, symbolizing midnight and two becoming one. Which was, you know, a totally minor detail that everyone would be too drunk to care about, but Simon had been so pleased with himself at coming up with the idea I knew he’d be pointing it out all evening and it was my duty as his maid of honor to fill in when he was too sloshed to speak any longer. The chairs, eight per table, were glossy black as well, the napkins gleaming white, the clear glassware and silver flatware smooth and unmarked. Above us was a net of white fairy lights that formed an artificial ceiling several feet below the pointed top of the room, and the floor was black stone, rectangular tiles shined to perfection, my reflection staring back at me when I glanced downward.

“Maude, Maude, it’s…it’s…I just…” He fanned his face with both hands. “Crying is bad. So bad. I can’t start off the evening looking like a puffy, splotchy nightmare.” Several deep, cleansing breaths later he was back in control, walking the room in search of imperfections. The sun had nearly set, and as we looked out the windows the city lights began to come on in quick succession, and the skyline was even more beautiful that it was during the daylight hours. As we drew closer to the DJ, the staff erected a rectangular table that would hold the cake and champagne fountain, the spot directly in front of it marked with an 18” silver star, indicating where the vow exchange was to take place. A voice sounded from behind us.

“A bit early, aren’t you, Simon?”

Turning around, I was stunned by the familiarity of the face in front of me. Her hair was dirty blonde, down past her shoulders, eyes a warm brown, smile welcoming and friendly. Dressed in loose black slacks and a black turtleneck paired with sensible black flats, I was tickled by the silver star-shaped earrings and chain belt she’s chosen to match the theme of the event. Around her neck was a black leather camera strap, the Nikon D5 it connected to in her right hand. Simon squeaked, then gave her a gentle hug, introducing us after pulling away.

“Maude Gallagher, meet Willa Morgan, high-end fashion photographer whom I suckered into shooting a wedding and now owe a huge favor that I will likely never be able to repay. Willa, meet Maude, Social Media Director for Prosper PR and my bestest friend whom I suckered into being my maid of honor which I’m sure she regrets and will hold against me for-ev-er.”

We both laughed, and I extended my left hand, which she shook firmly.

“Lovely to meet you, Maude.”

“Lovely to meet you as well, Willa.”

Her smile faded as she released me, replaced with a look of intense concentration. “Would you two mind standing on the star there so I can gauge some angles?”

We obliged, goofing around and pretending to make out while the poor woman attempted to do her job, eventually giving up on us, shaking her head as she laughed and set about acquiring shots of the rest of the set-up. I whispered in Simon’s ear as we moved to make room for the fountain assembly dolly.

“Um, is it just me or does Willa look EXACTLY like Brie Larson?”

He stared at her in the distance, then turned to me, eyes wide. “You know, I never thought about it before, but she really DOES. I wonder if I have a Doppelganger.” His nose crinkled as if he’d caught whiff of something vile. “Nah, there can’t be anyone out there as pretty as I am.”

It was going on six when we departed, waiting until every little thing was in place, right down to the wedding favors, which were silver mesh bags containing black and white M&Ms with Luke and Simon’s faces on them. I would never forget the day we texted about it, both of us rendered unable to correspond for at least ten minutes after Simon suggested having a special batch made up with dick pics on them for any guests who annoyed him.

Upon my return to our building I was thrown without pause into the chaos that surrounds any wedding party preparing for the celebration. I would be joined at Simon’s side by Roland and Phaedra, who was thrilled that she was so loved that she’d been included as a friend and wasn’t stuck sitting out as the mother of the groom. Luke had Tom, as well as Emma and Darren, his best mate from university. I hadn’t realized how close he and Emma were, but she and Tom had both followed him over to his own firm for personal reasons as well as professional ones. Emma and Phaedra’s dresses, both still hanging on the rack in the hall, were dove grey, with a halter-like top, almost a V-neck with the sleeves removed, leaving only a ribbon of fabric over each clavicle and connecting with the bodice, shoulders fully exposed. They were, in a way, the reverse of my dress. The waist was high, an under-slip of satin topped with translucent silky fabric flowing to ankle length. When I entered our flat my female cohorts were standing in the middle of the living room, clad in white terry-cloth robes, waiting for the make-up and hair team to ready their materials. Emma ran to embrace me.

“Maude! Hi hi hi! It’s been a bit, how are you? So great to see you!”

I squeezed her back, letting go and pulling away when one of the make-us-beautiful people thrust another white robe in my direction. “I’m good, how’s everything with you?”

Her nose scrunched, and she bit her bottom lip briefly. “Well, I’m starting to stress, if I’m honest. The benefit is seventeen days out and I’m still waiting on confirmation from people as to what songs…”

I interrupted her. “Aaaannndd I’m one of those people. Shit. Sorry. Gonna speak for Simon too, because he’ll never remember to tell you. I’m doing ‘Before I’m Dead’ by the Kidney Thieves, Simon’s doing Nirvana’s ‘Heart Shaped Box’ and together we’re attempting ‘Crystalized’ by the xx. Here, I’ll text you that right now. Do you need the durations? I can send you the files too if you want.”

She brushed the side of her hand across her forehead. “Phew. Thanks, that’s one down. Please, do send the files if you have them. I’ll check the length myself. And thank you for being willing to do it…I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such generous people. Ohhh…by the way, I’ve seen the app and it is INCREDIBLE. Can’t wait to use it...” She sighed as one of the hairdressers called her name, then smiled. “Oh well. We’ll get to chat in the car on the way, I’m sure.”

A snort escaped me as I typed out a message for her. “Like Simon’s going to let any of us get a word in edgewise.”

We both laughed, and Phaedra looked up from her own phone, waving as I headed to the bathroom to undress. Once my robe was safely secured over my nakedness, I opened the door to find one Thomas William Hiddleston standing five feet away, already dressed for the evening in his charcoal grey suit, white shirt, silver tie, cummerbund and pocket square. He smiled, and I first melted at the sheer beauty of him, then had a mild panic attack when I realized that the six months until I’d see him dressed for our wedding seemed both like a second and an eternity all at once.

He waved. “Hi.”

I waved back. “Hi. You look like…like…like you should come on over here and kiss me.”

His head shook from side to side, slowly. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“Is it?”

He nodded. “Yes. Because I know what’s under that robe. And if I get any closer…”

Raising my hands up near my ears carefully, I began to move backwards into the bathroom. “Right. Okay. Yep. But you know the dress is kinda…worse…”

He saluted, body tensing visibly. “Well I’m off then. Love you.”

“Love you too. One word. Pasties.”

His response was but a muffled groan as he strode quickly into the hall. I was whisked away to a director’s chair, where Marcus sung the praises of my hair and tamed it enough so it could be left down and loose. Emma’s had been pinned into a bun at the nape of her neck, Phaedra’s braided and wound around her head, creating a band of sorts. They were both in the middle of a pre-makeup facial, which I had no interest in receiving but quickly discovered wasn’t optional. After I was deemed clean, fresh and acceptable, foundation was applied, then silver crème and smoky grey shadow, black winged liner, and black mascara. My lips took the longest, first lined with a deep, dark red, then carefully painted blood red, and finally coated with a several layers of silver glitter gloss. I stood and stretched, arms straight up over my head, sighing softly as I lowered them back to my sides. An older woman approached me, black hair, rail thin, dressed in pink yoga pants and a black and white fitted T-shirt with a giant Hello Kitty on the front. There was a large brown satchel over her shoulder, and a garment bag slung over her outstretched arm. She smiled beatifically.

“Hello, Maude. I’m Gillian. Ready for your dress?”

“Yes. Yes I am. Thank you. Where would you like me?”

Her steel-blue eyes narrowed for a moment. “Well, we’ll need a private space, unless you don’t mind…”

My left hand shot up to shoulder height, palm toward her. “I’ve managed to make it this far without anyone in the room seeing my boobs…let’s keep the streak alive and head up to the master bedroom, if that works for you.”

She nodded, and I led the way, allowing her to enter the space first, then followed, closing the door behind us.

“Lovely flat you have here, Maude.” She placed the garment bag on the bed, ever so gently, and the utter weirdness of having a stranger in a place where so much intimacy happened made me cringe. Just a little, but still…a cringe. Gillian set her satchel on the chair and began rummaging through it, pulling out a small package and a bottle of what I knew had to be body glue. She looked around, pointing toward the bathroom.

“Probably best if we apply the pasties in there…oh, I almost forgot…” Her hand delved back into her bag, neon pink nails seeming to flash as she moved. “Ah, here they are. I have panty options for you as well, in case you need them.”

“Thank you, Gillian. I think I do need them…all my stuff is either dark or patterned.”

She walked into the bathroom, hot-pink Mary Janes clicking on the floor, and I followed. She spread everything out on the countertop…first came the half dozen pasties, all different shades, but all circular with a silver star that matched the dress perfectly in the center. Next to them she plopped a pile of fabric, the details as yet indiscernible, but there was a variation of tone there as well.

Her hands clapped together. “All right then…set your robe aside and we’ll get to work, if you please.”

I undid the tie, let the front hang open, then pulled my arms back through the sleeves and let it fall to the floor. She looked me up and down.

“Oh good, I believe I’ve gotten your sizing just right. And, you wax. Thank the lord for small favors.” I could feel my right brow rise against my will. She laughed. “No shade intended, but gals who prefer the au naturel look make it a bit harder for me to conceal the works without them wearing boxer briefs. With the style dress you have, it has a tendency to ruin the illusion, if you know what I mean.”

“I understand completely.”

She sifted through the pile and held up something that could only be described as a high-waisted thong. I took a moment to consider whether or not I was okay with my ass cheeks hanging out, then quickly shook my head. Next was a simple brief, and I nodded.

“Excellent choice. They’re form fitting and will be rather snug, which should be just fine with your shape. I don’t see much chance of spill-over happening. Now, let’s see which tone matches your skin best.”

Once that decision was made, I put them on…and she wasn’t kidding about the snugness. They were, like, snug to the tenth power snug. But, just as she thought, the band sat right at my waist and thus, there was no muffin-top to be found. She walked around me, checking out the rear view, nodding as she circled back to my front.

“Perfect. They match so well it looks like you aren’t wearing a blessed thing.”

The pasties came next, in the same shade. I stayed behind when she left the room, figuring peeing before putting on the dress was better than going afterward, because with my luck I’d dip it in the bowl and this way I’d at least make it to Searcys in decent shape. Probably. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror on the way back to the bedroom, I decided I most closely resembled an extra from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, which started me singing the Time Warp under my breath. Gillian was cautiously removing my dress from its bag, and when she lifted her head to smirk at me I knew she’d heard me.

“Oh, that’s a classic, Maude. Well done. You should request it tonight.”

I chuckled. “That is an excellent idea. What’s a wedding without a good pelvic thrust session?”

We both laughed as I stepped into the dress, then slowly worked my arms into the sleeves. Gillian zipped me up, inhaling sharply as she walked round to my front.

“Gorgeous. My word. Futuristic, yet ethereal. Stunning.”

I walked over to the bedroom mirror to take a look, my reflection’s jaw dropping open. The transformative power of a bit of makeup and some fabric never ceased to amaze me.

“Wow, it really DOES look like I’m totally naked. Great job matching the tones, Gillian. Perfection.”

She’d begun gathering her things, stuffing them all unceremoniously back into the satchel. “Thank you kindly. Do you need help with your shoes?”

“Well…probably not…but if you have time…”

She nodded and retrieved them from their box on the dresser. They bore some resemblance to dance shoes, with a two and a half inch spike heel and thick sole in the rounded toe area, two half-inch straps across the top, thoroughly coated in large pieces of silver glitter that matched the stars on my dress perfectly. I remained standing with one hand on the bedpost to maintain my balance as she slipped them on and secured the straps.

“There you are, then. Take a few steps and make sure the straps aren’t too tight.”

I did, heels clicking on the floor, then turned back to her. “Just right. Danceable, even. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Let’s get you downstairs….it’s just about nine and the car needs to be en route by ten after at the latest. New Year’s Eve traffic is hellish, I assure you.”

Phaedra and Emma were waiting in the living room, and they applauded as I descended, both unable to resist the urge to fondle the fabric when I reached them. Emma’s eyes widened when she realized that I didn’t have a full netting underneath, as most sane people would.

“Maude, my lord, those…are those…the stars on your…”

Nodding, I reached out and patted her on the shoulder. “My boobs. Yes. Pasties.” She blushed, and Phaedra sighed.

“Oh, how I miss having breasts that don’t point directly at the floor. Enjoy them, girls, while you still can. The day will come when you have to be cautious lest you light them on fire whilst preparing a meal.”

Emma’s blush deepened. “Phaedrea, oh my god. You’re horrid.”

I did my best to suppress my laughter, but to no avail, and Phaedra joined in. “I speak the truth, Emma. It’s your future. Best embrace it.”

We were interrupted by Simon shouting as he traipsed through the open door.

“LADIES. OUR CARRIAGE HAS ARRIVED. WE MUST LEAVE AT ONCE FOR THE BALL.”

He stood by the kitchen counter, waiting, and I shook my head, incredulous at how absolutely perfect he appeared. Like he’d sprung up from the pages of an elite fashion magazine, his blonde hair slicked back, white suit practically glowing, and when he smiled, I damn near lost my shit.

“Dude. Simon. Dude. Seriously. My god. You’re like an…you look like…like…like an ANGEL. I mean, I know you’re NOT because, reasons, but WOW.”

Four steps forward brought him to me, and he kissed both my cheeks, then took my hands as he leaned back to inspect my attire. “You’re looking rather heaven-sent yourself, Maudie. And thank you. I do look damn fine, don’t I?” He kissed Emma and Phaedra next, expressing his appreciation for their beauty as well, and then we were out the door and down the stairs. Since the ceremony wasn’t until midnight there was no way to hide Luke and Simon from each other, so we’d decided to all share a single stretch limousine. Tom’s expression as he watched me approach him stirred up a slew of emotions in me, running the gamut from mild embarrassment to blatant desire, his unwavering stare seeming to bore right through the little I was wearing. As I drew closer his eyes filled with tears, his jaw unclenching as he smiled and reached for my hand.

“You. Are. So. Beautiful.”

I took hold of him, leaning in to catch his scent as we neared the limo.

“Oh good god, you’re wearing that new cologne again. That little hint of sandalwood mixed with orange…how am I supposed to LIVE?” He chuckled. “And thank you. You’re beautiful too, babe.”

He kissed my cheek as he helped me climb inside. “It’s going to be a long, long night, isn’t it?”

I nodded as I slid over next to Phaedra to make room for him just as Simon cracked open the first bottle of champagne.

“Oh yeah. I hope you have your phone, because I need to capture all this insanity so I can show it to their kids twenty years from now. Preferably right after they give them a lecture about how partying is so very, very inappropriate and bad for them.”

***************************************

It was five after ten when we arrived at Searcys, and the elevator ride up was unusually quiet, Simon and Luke clinging to each other and nervously adjusting each other’s lapels and white rose boutonnieres. Phaedra, Emma and I wore wrist corsages comprised of black netting and two intertwined white roses secured with silver ribbon, for which I was grateful. Schlepping around flowers and trying to have a good time while keeping them looking decent sounded like a total drag. Tom and I held hands, loosely, purely for the purpose of maintaining a physical connection. My nerves were still ever present, despite the fact that I’d sung in front of groups larger than this in the past. To be fair, I’d been intoxicated for most of those shows, though. Tonight, I’d try to lose myself in tasty tidbits and pretend that it was just a friendly karaoke bar, not someone’s once-in-a-lifetime moment. The doors slid open, and there we were, walking into a space that was positively overflowing with love for two people who deserved every single drop of it.

We were whisked away for photos, Willa directing us around the room, deciding who would be in which shots, carefully selecting the perfect backdrops. Once she was through with us, the hors d'oeuvres

stopped circulating and it was time for the seven course sit-down meal to begin. The wedding party was seated closest to the windows on the left side of the room, set back a few feet from the others. It was odd, eating prior to a ceremony, a backwards wedding of sorts, but the food was ridiculously delicious and the company unparalled so time seemed to speed on by. A sorbet was served as a palate cleanser after the main course, and at quarter to midnight we rose from our spots and retreated back toward the entrance where the hair and makeup folks were waiting behind oriental-style screens. Luke and Simon had timed their vows to last for five minutes, so the refresh was brief, followed by us all taking our places for the walk across the dance floor to the silver star marker. Phaedra and Darren walked first, followed by Roland and Emma, then Tom and me. Once we were on the proper sides, the wedding march began, and I had to bite my lip really, really hard so I wouldn’t weep at the sight of Luke and Simon walking towards us, hand in hand, their love for each other so clearly visible in their eyes, their expressions so joyful it was almost painful. They took their places on the star, Willa shooting discreetly yet furiously the entire time, and the officiant began. I missed most of that, only tuning in fully when the vow exchange began. Luke went first, his hand shaking as his right reached out for Simon’s left. His voice was clear, deep, and strong.

“Simon, that day you turned up for an interview…I thought that was the best day of my life. But it wasn’t, actually, because every day since that day has been the best day of my life. You’ve reminded me that there’s so much more to life than striving toward the next slot in the chain of financial success, shown me that joy can be found in even the smallest and bleakest moments. And, you’ve improved my wardrobe in ways I never could have imagined.”

Everyone laughed, and Simon reached up to pat Luke’s cheek.

“Over and above all that, you’ve taught me how to love, and how to love unconditionally. You are the man I dreamt of but never thought I’d ever find. My lover, my friend. It’s my honor to have you as my husband, and to be yours. From this day forward, it’s us, together, always. I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, Luke Windsor, do take thee, Simon Ahlberg, to be my lawful wedded husband. Will you accept this ring as a symbol of my commitment to you, to us?”

Simon’s voice broke as he answered. “Yes. I, Simon Ahlberg, take thee, Luke Windsor to be my wedded husband.” Luke slipped the platinum band onto his ring finger, then released him. Simon’s right hand reached out to take Luke’s left, and one incredibly deep breath later he began to speak.

“Luke. That day, when I walked into your office, I was on a mission. A mission to fundamentally change the way I was living. I was burnt out, used up, and in search of something new, something different, something that would inspire me, something that would make me wake up every morning excited and full of wonder. I thought that something would be an occupation, because that’s what filled my life before, but it turned out to be…you. Especially the waking up excited part.” Snickers and guffaws rose up around the room. “It was YOU. And I am the luckiest man, not only on Earth, but in the vastness of the universe, because I have you. Because you love me. ME! It’s ridiculously cliché, but Luke, you make me want to be a better man…and it’s my honor and privilege to share your life from this day forward as your husband. I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, Simon Ahlberg, do take thee, Luke Windsor, to be my lawful wedded husband. Will you accept this ring as a symbol of my commitment to you, to us?”

Both of their faces were damp with tears, and Luke swallowed hard twice before he responded. “Yes. Yes, yes, YES. I, Luke Windsor, take thee, Simon Ahlberg to be my wedded husband.”

Simon gently slid the platinum band, a twin of the one he now wore, onto Luke’s ring finger, then reached out to grasp Luke’s right hand with his left. The DJ began the ten second countdown to midnight, and the officiant spoke.

“Let it be known that these two men before me, and before all persons present, have, through their vows, declared themselves bound in matrimony. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you…the Windsor-Ahlbergs!”

With that the clock struck midnight, Simon and Luke kissed, and congratulatory cheers mixed with shouts of ‘Happy New Year’ rang out. Tom was in front of me before the DJ could even begin to play Auld Lang Syne, his hands on the sides of my face as he bent so we were eye to eye.

“This is it. 2016. Soon enough, we’ll be saying our own vows, exchanging rings and I…I…I’m so in love with you, Maude. Happy New Year.”

His lips met mine, his hands wound around my waist, and mine around his, as we swayed to the music and I realized that I’d honestly never fully comprehended what it was supposed to mean, that New Year’s midnight kiss. Because any I’d ever received before hadn’t meant anything to me when compared to the way I felt right then, in that moment. We broke the kiss as the song ended, and the DJ’s voice boomed loudly through the sound system’s speakers.

“HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE!” A round of cheering broke out again, and the DJ laughed. “All right, all right, you’re excited. Before we party, two things to take care of…the cutting of the cake by our happy couple, and…their first dance. We’re going to do the dance first, because you know someone’s going to get cake smeared all over them and that’s not a good look for the photo album, now is it? Luke and Simon have chosen ‘Feeling Good’ as their wedding song, and it will be performed by none other than maid-of-honor MAUDE GALLAGHER. Give the lady a hand!”

The applause was ridiculously loud, and I looked up at Tom, shouting over the din. “Happy New Year, you beautiful man. I love you. I’m probably going to die of embarrassment when I get to the scatting part, but…I love you.”

He kissed my forehead as he released me. “You’ll be amazing. Go. Do it. I’ll be right here, falling for you all over again.”

My head tilted to the left, mouth open, eyes narrowed. “Dude. I can’t even with you.” I planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.” And then, a microphone magically appeared in my hand, and there I was, standing on that silver star, with Luke and Simon staring at me from the center of the dance floor. And so I dove into the first verse acapella, the way Nina Simone had done it all those years ago.

Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel Sun in the sky, you know how I feel Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me. Yeah, it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, ooooooooh... And I'm feelin' good. Fish in the sea, you know how I feel River runnin' free, you know how I feel Blossom on the tree, you know how I feel It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, And I'm feelin' good Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know, Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean. Sleep in peace when day is done: that's what I mean, And this old world is a new world and a bold world for me... Stars when you shine, you know how I feel Scent of the pine, you know how I feel Yeah, freedom is mine, and I know how I feel.. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me And I'm feelin'... good.

The scatting was actually decent, and I knew that what I’d just completed was a personal best for me as far as performances went, and would probably turn out to be the best performance of my life. And it had little to do with me, at all. It was because of the two people running toward me, embracing me, and the love they had for each other that had set them free. And I knew how that felt, and that’s what poured up out of my soul, what powered my voice as I sang those words. Tom joined the group hug, then pulled me away from Simon and Luke.

“My god, that was incredible. You…I just…wow. Wow. Speechless.”

I grinned and pinched his cheek. “Oh, speechless. The best compliment Tom Hiddleston can possibly pay.”

He laughed, and the DJ announced that the time had come for cake chaos. Simon went first, and I was stunned when he held the piece steady and allowed Luke to take a dainty, mess-free bite. Luke’s full on face-smooshing smear fest when it was his turn was equally surprising…and insanely adorable, especially when he tried to help wipe it off and Simon kissed him instead. I turned to Tom.

“Two things. One, if you try to do that to me I’m going to bite your hand off and two, this is all so precious and perfect that I may soon vomit. Will cake help, do you think?”

He nodded. “Cake always helps. And then, dancing?”

“Yes. Cake. Dancing. More cake. More dancing. Repeat as necessary until the paramedics show up to treat either my sugar overdose or painful bodily injury.”

And that’s exactly what we did, until 4 AM rolled around and we staggered to the elevator, then out to the waiting car. Simon and Luke had taken their own to a nearby hotel, where they’d stay until late afternoon tomorrow, when they’d be boarding a plane to enjoy their five day honeymoon in Greece. Phaedra had agreed to see Roland home, and shared a car with Emma and Darren as they were all headed in the same direction, which left Tom and I to our own devices. He wasn’t blotto drunk, but drunk enough to be a terror as far as propriety was concerned, fingers running up and down the V front of my dress, caressing my exposed skin, hand slipping under the fabric to cup my right breast, letting out a frustrated groan because my nipple was hidden beneath the pastie. There was no privacy screen, and I gave up caring that the driver might see, or that he might crash while staring at our antics, instead pulling Tom into a kiss, his mouth tasting of whiskey and ale. Making out was enough of a distraction to get us home without actually exposing ourselves, and when we arrived he ran up the stairs to our flat, taking them two at a time, waited for me for ten seconds, then ran back down, then back up, over and over until I managed to successfully navigate my way to the landing in my stupid heels. His hands were shaking so badly he couldn’t get the key in the door, so I took over, and he pushed me inside as it opened, turned me left into the kitchen, then pressed me up against the counter overlooking the living room. I felt his hands lifting my dress, then on my lower back as he guided me to lean forward. Next were his thumbs inside the waistband of my underwear, rolling them down to my ankles. I heard him unzip, and I moved my legs as far apart as they could go, groaning as the head of him brushed against me before he thrust himself forward and home. It was quick and dirty, his hips rolling as his cock worked its way in and out, faster and faster until I came with a gasp and he followed, whimpering softly, then collapsing on top of me. Several minutes passed and just as I began to entertain the thought that he was out cold he whispered in my ear, voice lacking its usual resonance.

“I’m so sleepy. Will you tuck me in?”

“Yep. You’ve gotta get off me first, though.”

“Ohhhh. That’s right. I’m sorry.” I felt his weight lifting, then disappearing completely. I turned around to find him staring at me, eyes moist. “You’re beautiful.”

I snorted, then bent to remove my shoes so I could slip out of my underwear. “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.”

He turned me around slowly, unzipped my dress, then slid it off my shoulders and allowed it to fall to the floor. I rotated to face him, and he pulled me into an embrace and nuzzled my neck.

“Wife.”

“Soon.”

“Since I saw you.”

I inhaled sharply. “Thomas.”

“Love you.”

“I love you too, baby. Let’s go upstairs, okay?”

“M’kay.”

I made him go first, just in case. Not that I’d have been able to catch him if anything happened, but it made me feel better. I helped him undress, then tucked him in, as requested, kissing him goodnight before I headed off to shower. The pasties came off rather quickly, the makeup, not so much. Especially the glitter gloss, which made me grateful I didn’t have to deal with such shit on a daily basis. I toweled off, used the toilet one last time, then crawled in next to Tom. He rolled over, muttering something I couldn’t quite decipher as he wrapped his arm around me, hand cupping my breast. My eyes closed as his warmth enveloped me, and I dozed off trying to count how many days remained until June 29th.

****************************************

We spent the weekend recovering, just the two of us, heading out for food periodically but otherwise just enjoying…being. Time felt like the enemy, and even though I tried to ignore it, my brain kept counting of the days we had left before his flight to Australia. Monday I was back in the office, working on marketing materials for the app and testing the customer management systems with Trudy. The rest of the staff picked up any slack left by Luke and Simon’s absence, their duties relatively minimal as our client base had been made aware of the wedding and honeymoon schedule well in advance. Tuesday and Wednesday were more of the same, with the additional tasks of contacting all the beta testers to request their reviews and creating an instructional video to post on the main website. Thursday was freak-out day, as it was my last official day of work prior to launch, and the last night I’d be sharing a bed with Tom for more than two weeks. Seventeen days, to be precise.

Dinner was delivery pizza, followed by ice cream sundaes for dessert. Afterward, I helped him pack, and the strangeness of assisting the person I had grown so used to and loved having so close to me prepare to be so far away melted my brain a little. We showered, then attempted to sleep, but spent most of the night making love or simply staring at each other, as if committing as much detail as we could to memory so we’d have it as a touchstone while we were apart.

Friday morning we were out the door and into a waiting cab by ten AM in order to arrive at Heathrow in plenty of time for his twelve forty-five PM flight. It would be a long one, twenty-five hours at minimum, during which I hoped he’d get some rest. Brisbane awaited, and there’d be staff housing as well as opportunities to visit the Hemsworths in Byron Bay. Jordan had chosen the Gold Coast to film, Queensland offering savannah-like settings as well as a tropical rainforest.

Both of us were silent on the ride, holding hands, his thumb rubbing my wrist. We’d agreed to say our goodbyes just inside the main entrance, with me then returning to the cab and heading home while he checked in and went through security. The cab driver helped unload his baggage, then drove off to circle around until our paths coincided again, at which point he’d pick me up.

I felt like I was going to puke at the sight of the gates, which made me wonder if this was going to become a ‘thing’…me stress-barfing at airports. Tom set the backpack he’d slung over his shoulder on the floor next to the rest of his luggage, then turned to me.

“Well. Guess this is it, then.” He ran one hand through is hair. “Not sure I can do this, Maude.”

I reached out to touch his arm, reveling in the feel of his long blue coat. “Yes you can. It’s okay. It’s going to be fine. Seventeen days and you’ll be picking my ass up in Brisbane. No big deal.” His hand caressed my cheek, and I burst into tears. “Shit. I told myself I wasn’t going to cry, and now I’m crying. Epic fail. I’m sorry.”

He pulled me into his arms, one hand on the back of my head pressing me to his chest. “Don’t you be sorry. I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m the one who has to leave.”

I leaned backwards so I could see his face, noticing that he was trying to hold back his own tears but was losing the battle, one already spilling over and running down his cheek. “No, I am. I’m the one who has to STAY.”

We clung to each other, weeping quietly, until we both breathed deeply, knowing it was time to let go, whether we liked it or not. I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. “All right. I need to get the fuck out of here before I wind up throwing myself on the floor and wrapping my arms around your leg like a ball and chain.”

He laughed, then bent to kiss me…long, slow, deliberate and full of everything we couldn’t say. He broke away first, taking my hands in his.

“I am going to miss you like I’ve never missed anything ever before in my life. But we’ll text, we’ll call, we’ll Skype, and I’ll be busy and you’ll be busy and the days will pass and you’ll be back in my arms again in the blink of an eye.”

I nodded and let go of his hands. “It’ll all be okay. I know. You know. It doesn’t make it suck any less, but it’ll be okay. Stay safe, Hiddleston. I love you. Heart and soul.”

He smiled, red-rimmed eyes displaying a glimmer of hope, and joy. “I love you too, Maude. Heart and soul. I’ll see you soon. Good luck with the launch, and the show.”

“Tell Kong I said hello. And, you know, everyone else, too.”

“I shall.”

With that, he gathered up his luggage, returned the backpack to his shoulder, then turned away from me and began to walk down the hall. I waited for a moment, staring at him, and he spun around quickly, waved, then turned back around and kept going, and I turned myself and half-jogged out to the curb, choking back seemingly endless sobs as I waited for the cab that would bring me back to our flat. Our flat, with just me in it. Alone.

#your light in the mist #chapter 40

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