#Abby has glasses was well forgot to mention that

[leossmoonn]

five nights with mike (2) | mike schmidt

read part one

summary - a romance develops between you and mike at freddy’s

warnings / includes - reader is fem. established feelings. natural time skips. very loosely follows the plot of the movie but i didn’t want to watch it again for this lol. eventual smut - piv, oral f receiving, brief handjob

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18+ under the cut

“thank you so much for picking me up. you might have to tomorrow, too.”

mike glances at you, giving you a small smile. “it’s no problem.”

you buckle yourself in and set your purse between your legs on the ground. “how is abby?”

“great. she asks about you all the time,” mike chuckles. “oh,” you sigh, putting your hand on your chest. “she’s adorable. maybe sometime we can eat lunch or something together.”

his heart spikes and he nods enthusiastically. “that-that would be awesome. yeah and, uh, i can pay this time. i can even make it, too.”

“mike schmidt cooks, huh?” you grin at him. “i only know how to make a few things, but i like cooking in general. just give me a recipe and i’ll try my best,” he says.

“mmm. well, i love a man who can cook,” you remark, looking out the window. heat creeps up mike’s neck and reaches his ears. “just let me know what kind of food you like, and i’ll make it. i’m not a trained chef or anything, though, so if it’s bad then i don’t say i didn’t warn you.”

“i bet you’re better than me. i personally like baking better,” you say.

“baking is cool, but it takes too long and i’m an impatient person.”

“well, how about you cook and i’ll bring the dessert.”

“oh, you don’t have to do that,” mike shakes his head. “you’re already so busy with work.”

“it’s no trouble. i’ve stated to get later shifts at my day job. it means i work later, but more time to sleep and some more time reserved for things like baking.”

“that’s great to hear. do you feel like you sleep better now?”

“no,” you snort. “if anything, i feel worse, but that’s just my brain. i can tell my body appreciates it.”

mike hums in response. “tonight you can sleep the majority of the shift if you’d like.”

“and leave you all alone? no. after what happened to abby, i’m kind of scared to sleep there.”

mike rolls his bottom lip in between his teeth. “don’t let abby scare you. she has lots of imaginary friends even before i took her there, which won’t be happening again.”

“right,” you sigh. “it’s just that i swore i heard other voices. like a man’s voice.”

mike feels the hairs raise up on his arms even under his jacket. “maybe tonight we can scope it out.”

“sure. hopefully we don’t die. imagine those fur things coming to life and murdering us,” you shiver in thought.

mike chuckles, “that would be wild.”

mike parks his car at the pizzeria. you grab your purse and lead the way in. as you step inside, there’s a cracking sound. you look under your shoe, seeing a bunch of glass on the floor.

“holy shit,” you gasp. you look at the diner, seeing it totally trashed.

“fuck, um. yeah, steve mentioned this to me earlier. i-i must’ve forgot,” mike says sheepishly. he really did forget. he must’ve been so clouded by his excitement to see you, he scraped his conversation with steve completely.

“it’s okay. it’s not like you warning me would’ve changed what happened.” you can’t believe your eyes. it seems like every table in the diner is flipped over or broken. glass litters the floor and you’re thankful you chose to wear sneakers tonight and not slippers like you have been. “what did happen?” you turn to mike.

“i guess a bunch of people came in here after we left and trashed it. i’m not sure why. i swore we locked all the doors.”

“yeah, i thought we did, too. we wanted to get abby out of here fast, though, so we could’ve missed something.”

“yeah, that’s what i was thinking, too,” mike sighs. “i guess you really won’t be getting any rest tonight.”

“it’s alright,” you shrug. “i just don’t know if we’ll be able to get the diner back to its original state.”

“it’s not like anybody but us comes here,” mike jokes. you smile and nod, “right.” you set your purse down on one of the booth tables that isn’t destroyed. “let’s get to it.”

mike and you spend most of the night cleaning. you were shocked to find even more mess in the hallway and kitchen areas. everything was going smoothly until you find what you think is blood splattered all over the storage room window.

“mike?” you call out. there’s no answer and a pang of worry hits your chest. “mike?” you shout louder.

“coming!” you hear him. fast footsteps echo in the hallway and you can’t help but feel creeped out. you always thought this place was weird and dinky. you only accepted the job because you found out another person was working, and while you feel very save with mike, you just can’t shake the feeling that there’s something seriously wrong with this place.

“what’s up?” mike asks. you point to the window and his eyes widen. “oh,” he says. “um, maybe that’s the blood of the person destroying the place?”

“maybe. but it’s from the inside.”

“yeah,” mike gulps. “we can tell steve about it or something. we were hired to babysit this place, not be a clean up crew.”

“right,” you nod. he grabs your hand gently and you feel butterflies erupt in your tummy. “let’s go back to the office. we only have a couple more hours here. we can relax from cleaning then just be done.”

you smile in agreement, letting him lead you out of the hallway. soon your mind wanders away from the eerie feelings. you talk about everything and nothing. you laugh at every terrible joke he makes. he listens intently to stories about your family. with each minute, it seems like you two get closer — both emotionally and physically. by the end of the shift, you’re sitting knee-to-knee. your foot is brushing up against his jeans, feeling the muscle of his calf. both of your hands are rested on the desk and his fingers routinely brush up against yours. soon, they’re basically intertwined. you don’t know how they got there, but you’re not complaining.

“looks like we made it without dying,” mike says. you grin, “until tomorrow.”

“shall i take you home, then?” he asks. your face falls and he catches it, but you’re quick to mask it. “yeah, sure.” the disappointment seeps into you, but you know you’ll see him again soon. you just wish you could have more time with him.

you both walk out, triple checking that everything is shut and locked. the car ride home is silent, but it’s comfortable. you glance at mike every so often, admiring him from the passenger seat. his hair is tousled from running his hands in it. his eyebrows are furrowed as he focuses on driving, his eyes moving every so often as he watches the road. your eyes trial down the shape of his nose, noticing the tiniest bump towards the top.

dread fills you as he pulls into your driveway. you purse your lips as you try to think of what will allow you to spend more time with him.

“what’re your plans for today?” you ask. “nothing much. abby’s with a babysitter right now. thankfully, it’s the weekend so i don’t have to rush to take her to school,” he answers.

“ah,” you hum. he looks to you, seeing your face in deep concentration as you stare at your lap. “what about you? you work later today, right?”

“yep. at 2,” you say. he glances at the dashboard clock that reads 6:30 am. “you have a while then. are you tired?” he asks.

“not really. honestly, staying up all night kind of gave me a boost of energy.”

“me, too,” he nods. you can’t help but sigh. there’s no good reason for him to come inside or even for you to go back to his house. you figure you just have to wait until tonight.

“thank you again for driving me. are you able to pick me up later?” you ask.

“of course,” he nods. you smile, “great! i really appreciate it.”

“it’s really no problem,” he smiles. you start to get out of the car, but he stops you. “hey, can i, uh, use your bathroom really quickly?”

“yeah,” you nod a little too much. “thank you,” he says, stepping out of his car. you unlock the front door, trying to remember if you left your house a complete mess or not. you’re relieved to see that you did not.

mike looks around your house. it looks identical to his from the outside, but the inside is a whole different story. he wonders if you hired an interior decorator because of how beautiful it looks.

“the bathroom is down the hall to the right,” you say. he turns to look at you, then to the hallway. “thanks,” he says, making his way to the closed door.

you take off your shoes, placing them neatly on the small shoe rack you have by the door. there are some dirty dishes on the coffee table in your living room from your last meal, but you’re sure he doesn’t mind. everyone has dirty dishes laying out from time to time. you take the opportunity to load them in your dishes washer, re-folding some blankets and fluffing up the couch pillows.

you’re sat on your couch when mike comes out.

“are you hungry?” you ask. “no,” he lies. he wants to stay, but he doesn’t want to be a burden to you.

“oh, come on. we haven’t eaten in like, eight hours. at least i haven’t. i have some cinnamon rolls that would love to be baked.”

“would they, though?”

you giggle and stand up. “will your babysitter mind staying a little late?”

“i’ll call her,” mike says. he takes out his phone, dialing his home phone. it takes a moment or two for someone to pick up. “hello?” abby’s voice echos.

“hey, abby. is max there?” he asks. “yes. she just got me breakfast from mcdonald’s,” abby says.

“oh, that’s nice of her. do you mind if i speak to her real quick?”

“okay. max!”

mike quickly pulls the phone away as abby yells into the mic.

“hello?” max says. “hey, max. i, uh, got caught up at the pizzeria. are you able to stay and watch her for an hour or so?” mike asks.

“yeah, of course,” she says quickly. “awesome. i’ll pay you extra, i promise,” mike says.

“it’s okay, mike. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“yep,” he hangs up, waking into the kitchen where you’re setting out the dough.

“ah, these are pre-packaged,” mike remarks. “nobody has time to make cinnamon rolls by scratch,” you say.

“says the person who likes baking. or do you just like fake baking?”

“this is not fake baking!” you exclaim. “i am putting it in the oven and going to put icing over it.”

“whatever you say.” mike leans against your counter, crossing his arms over his chest. you can’t help but notice him flex his biceps.

“i bet you fake cook,” you quip. his brows raise in question. “and what does that entail?”

“you put a foam cup full of ramen and warm it up in the microwave.”

“those are delicious.”

“i mean, yeah, but it’s so hard to put an egg in it and sometimes the noodles aren’t soft enough.”

“well, i usually cook my ramen on the stovetop. so if i ever make you that, you’ll know it’s real cooking.”

you laugh at his joke, your eyes flickering from the rolls to him a few times. you think about doing this again with him, next time with him making you food. you think about being in his house, seeing how he lives, looking at the pictures he may have on the walls, or lack thereof. you think about sitting on his couch and watching a movie, shoulders and knees touching. you wonder what his room looks like, what color his sheets are. you want to know what he looks like sleeping and waking up. you want to know what he looks like on top of you and between your thighs.

“what else do you know how to make?” you ask.

“chicken pot pie.”

“pot pie? wow.” you are genuinely impressed.

“i’ve been told i make a mean stir fry, too.”

“you’ll have to make it for me then. does abby like your cooking?” you ask, putting the pan in the preheated oven.

“only if it’s spaghetti and waffles.”

“i see that she’s a simple girl.”

“food-wise, she is. but i don’t mind. they’re both easy things to make.”

“it’s sweet.” you turn to him, leaning against the counter diagonal from him. “how you take care of her. she’s lucky to have you.”

“truth is, i’m lucky to have her. we don’t always get along, but she keeps me going.”

“that is adorable,” you awe. “i am an only child, so i envy people who have siblings.”

“it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but it’s nice just having someone there.”

“seems like it,” you say. you move to your coffee maker, turning it on and finding a k-cup to use. “would you like some coffee?”

“i would,” he nods. “can you grab us some mugs? they’re in the cabinet behind your head,” you direct.

he does so, placing the cups on the counter. he moves to slide it to you at the same time you put your hand on it. your heart skips a beat. your eyes shoot to his and you see they’re already on you. you watch his eyes trail down to your lips and the back up to your own eyes. you feel weak in the knees as he stares at you through his lashes. his eyes are wide and full of innocence, but there’s a hint of mischief in them as his pupils begin to widen.

“thank you,” you say, your voice coming out barely above a whisper.

“mhm,” he hums, his voice low and smooth. “how do you like your coffee?” you ask.

“one sugar and a splash of milk or creamer. whatever you have,” he answers.

“i have some creamer in the fridge.” you head towards your refrigerator. he watches you as you bite your lip as you search for the creamer. you shut the fridge door gently, setting the creamer next to the coffee maker. you open the cabinet above of you, grabbing a couple packets of sugar. he keeps his eyes on you as the silence settles in.

this feels so nice. being with you in your house feels nice. being close to you, spending time with you feels nice. mike wants to do this every day. he wants to fall asleep holding you close like he did the other night in the office. he wants to live with you and make dinner for you, having it await your arrival after your day shift. he wants to wake up next to you, tracing circles on your skin until they eventually become replaced with kisses. he wants to know how you’d look on top of him, riding his dick and face.

soon the cinnamon rolls are done. you take them out of the oven, waiting a few moments before icing them.

“you’re pretty good at icing,” you say. “thank you. these are kind of hard to ice since they’re so warm,” he chuckles.

“yeah, you’re supposed to wait, but i’m starving.” you take a bite into the roll, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. mike can’t help but notice that his jeans feel uncomfortably tight all the sudden. he takes a bite of his roll, making a note of how good they are.

“you can never go wrong with these,” you say. you take another bite, some icing sticking to the top of your lip. “you have a little bit of something here.” mike’s pinky points to his own lips.

“oh, god,” you laugh, heat creeping up your neck from embarrassment. “i should’ve warned you, i’m a messy eater.” you take a napkin and wipe it over the bottom half of your lip.

mike smiles and sets his roll down. “here, let me.”

you nod and place the napkin down, his fingers brushing against yours once more. he moves closer to you, leaning his head in to where your foreheads are almost touching. his gaze is trained on your lips as he cups your face, swiping his thumb over your lips. you don’t realize you’re holding in a breath until he looks into your eyes.

“thank you,” you manage to say. your throat feels dry all of the sudden and you feel hot all over. “no problem,” he says.

the air is thick between you two. you’re so close, closer than you’ve ever been. you can feel the heat radiating off of him. when you inhale you can smell him. he smells like the woods, spearmint, and vanilla. you can recognize the spearmint smell from his car. you wonder if the woodsy smell is natural and if the vanilla is the scent of his body wash.

he doesn’t move is hand away and you’re sure you don’t want him to. his eyes move across your face, not sure whether to stare at your lips or your eyes. he sucks in a deep breath, swallowing slowly. you watch as his adam’s apple bobs up and down, his jaw becoming more sharp as he bites down on his back teeth for a moment.

“can i kiss you?” his voice is low and warm. your eyes flutter in surprise, your heart following in suit. his big brown eyes stare into yours, holding your eyes hostage.

“yes,” you finally say. he slowly moves in, his hand moving upwards to touch the nape of your neck. you try to control your breathing as you watch his eyes flicker from yours to your lips. he brushes his bottom lip against yours, causing a thrill to run up your spine. his head moves back slightly, but he makes up for it with closing the gap between you two.

kissing him feels like a weight taken off your shoulders. all the tension you’ve felt releases as you move your lips with his. he kissed you so gently, a little too soft, like he’s holding back. after a few seconds he pulls away, both of you catching your breaths.

“i’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” he says. you smile, grabbing his free hand. “well, don’t stop.”

he kisses you again, this time harder. it’s almost bruising. he grabs your waist, holding you tighter and closer. you take a shower breath and his tongue slips into your mouth. you moan softly as his hand slivers down to your ass and squeezing the soft tissue. your arms wrap around him and your weave your fingers through his hair. it’s so soft like you’ve always imagined.

“can i do this?” mike breathes against your lips. your eyes are still closed as he slides both hands up your shirt. you answer him by pulling away completely and taking your shirt off, revealing your nude-colored bra. you expect his eyes to drop down immediately, but you watch as they follow your jaw and down your neck. they sweep across the area where your collarbones are, then finally landing on your breasts.

his hands walk up your sides, making you laugh a little bit. he smiles at you, his eyes jumping up to yours now. you can’t help but squeeze your thighs just by the way he’s looking at you. he attaches his lips to yours once more, but it’s not long before he starts to trail down to your neck and your chest. you unhook your bra, letting it fall off your shoulders to the ground. you lean against the counter as he cups your tits, thumbs circling over your hardened nipples. you let out a little gasp as he pinches them, looking up at you to try and gage your reaction. he closes his lips around one nipple, flicking it with his tongue. you sigh this time, your hand falling to his head.

you feel his hands skim down to your pants. his fingers hook under the waistband, feeling over the cotton of your underwear. you shift your weight, feeling that the tension is almost unbearable. it’s painful as you watch him slowly slide down your pants. he runs his tongue down the valley of your breasts, pressing wet all over your tummy before landing at the top of your underwear. you step out of your pants, feeling the cold air hit your legs, making you shiver.

his left hand grabs the underside of your thigh. his hand is so warm against your cold skin. it feels nice, but not as nice as the feeling you get when he runs the pads of his fingertips down your underwear. he skims just over your slit, feeling some of the wetness that has collected. you want to slap the smirk off his face, but it makes your stomach flip.

“is there anything i should do?” he asks. now he looks all innocent, staring at you with wide eyes and raised brows.

“i could think of a few things,” you say. “mm, like what?” he inquires. his fingers are at the side of your panties. you watch in anticipation as you wait for him to pull them to the side. “tell me what you want,” mike says.

you swallow hard. “i… i want your fingers inside of me. and your mouth on me.”

you can see all of his top teeth as he smiles. “that’s all you had to say.”

you spread your legs, using the counter as a crutch. he pushes your underwear aside, slipping one finger into you. heat creeps up your neck at the sound of your cunt gushing. he slides it out momentarily, finding your clit to moisten the area. he slides two fingers in this time, curling them inside of you. he watches you again, seeing your lips part and chest heave up and down. you feel your brain go numb as he keeps his eyes locked on yours as he brings his mouth to your cunt.

“ohmygod,” you rush out, your head lolling back. his tongue flicks your clit, sucking every so often. you lead so far back your back is supported by your cabinets. one of your hands hold his head, your fingers gripping his hair. your other hand is digging your fingernails into his clothes shoulder.

“fuck, mike,” you gasp as he quickens the pace of his fingers ever so slightly. he hits that spot so perfectly, and you can’t help but squeeze your thighs around his head. his tongue starts making stronger strokes on your clit. not enough to make it hurt, but enough to make you feel like you’re already about to orgasm.

you’ve talked to mike about past lovers. you know he’s had a couple and for only short periods of time. you assumed he would be experienced, but not an expert, which you had no problem with. he’s sure as hell proving you wrong now.

“don’t stop, don’t stop,” you breathe out. you place one hand next to you on the counter, gripping the marble top so hard you think it might leave an imprint in your palm. “mike, mike,” you warn him, your throat constricting and heart racing. your toes curl in your socks and you clench your thighs around his head one last time.

you have to push his head away, seeing the dazed look on his face. his fingers exit you and he sucks them dry. you visibly gulp, feeling warmth fill your lower stomach as you watch him. all you can hear is your heartbeat in your ears and your heavy breathing.

“good?” he asks. “yes,” you nod enthusiastically. “so good.”

you grab him by his shirt, crashing your lips onto his. you taste yourself on his lips. both of your hands drop down to his jeans, undoing his belt quickly. his heart skips in excitement as his pant pool at his ankles. you palm him through his brief, feeling how hard he it. it must be painful, you think, and it is. he was already hard from the moment he kissed you, and it didn’t get any better when giving you head.

you pull away and wet your hand with your spit, shoving your hand down his boxers. both of his hands grip your waist as you wrap your fingers around his length, pumping it in your hands, squeezing every so often. your other hand reached down to his balls, massaging them gently, but at the same pace as your other hand.

“shit,” mike groans, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. he already feels like he’s going to blow a load. he hasn’t had sex in a long while, but he didn’t his stamina was this terrible. he knows it’s you, though. you’re the reason why his fingertips are digging into your skin. you’re the reason why his pre-cum is leaking all over your hand. you’re the reason why when he feels like he’s close to coming, he stops you because he wants — no, needs — to feel what it’s like inside of you.

“do you have a condom?” mike breaths out. “yeah,” you say. you quickly make your way to one of your drawers, pulling out a packet. “these work?” you ask.

“yes,” he nods. “you just keep condoms laying around?”

“easy access,” you shrug.

“you fuck everybody in your kitchen, then?”

“only my hot co-workers.”

he blushes at your comment. you give him a wink, tearing open the condom. you hand it to him and he slides it on. you grab the bottle of lube you keep handy as well, slathering it onto the condom, giving mike a playful squeeze that elicits a low groan. he takes you by the waist and kisses you, spinning you around so now yours against the counter again. you take your panties off and hop on, the cold marble feeling nice against your blazing hot skin.

you lean back, watching mike line himself up with you. he looks into your eyes then back down, pushing himself inside of you. you gasp softly, your grip on his shoulders tightening. he starts off slow at first, basking in your warmth and tight walls. but soon, he’s fucking you. he slides his arm under your back and pulls your bottom half towards him, causing the angle to change. he hikes one of your legs up, allowing him to lean into you more and just hit that spot deep inside of you deliciously.

“mike,” you pant into his shoulder, holding yourself close to him. he makes your eyes flutter shut and roll back farther with each thrust. you pulsate around him with every whimper and moan that comes out of his mouth. you soon feel that familiar feeling bubble in your lower stomach.

mike rests his head against your cabinet, looking down and watching as he slides in and out of you. his grip on your sides tighten as he tries to focus on other things than you, but he can’t. you’re just too sexy. the way you’re moaning in his ear, chanting his name with each thrust. the way your nails begin to scrape against his shoulder blades. not to mention, you look amazing just sitting on the countertop. he can’t not think about you and the fact that he’s inside of you.

that’s all he needs to finish.

you wrap both legs around him as you come. your head leans back, your eyes screwing shut. he comes with you, stopping after a few slow thrusts. he slides out of you, chest heaving up and down. you squeeze your legs together and swear you can still feel him inside of you.

he ties the condom and throws it into your trash can. you have a big smile on your face when he turns to look at you. he can’t help but mirror it.

“how, uh, was that?” he asks, suddenly becoming bashful. “amazing,” you breathe out. “how did i do?” you ask teasingly.

“you were…. perfect.” his pupils are blown and you can’t tell where his iris starts. his words make your body feel even more warm. you jump off your counter and put your clothes back on, making a note to wipe off your counter with lysol soon.

“i should get back home to abby,” mike says. your smile falls, but you understand. “she probably misses you.”

“probably not,” he chuckles. “well, i know i will.” you take his hands into yours.

“you’ll see me soon,” he says, his thumb tracing circles on your skin.

“i will,” you smile, starting to feel excited again. you walk him outside, leaning on the hood of his car. “i hope to do this again sometime,” you say.

“me, too. maybe sometime before work i can make you dinner?” he suggests.

you’re smiling so hard your cheeks are starting to hurt. “i would love that.”

————

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Threadbare (2)

Steve Rogers x Fashion Designer!Reader

Part Two: Strain Curve (see previous or series)

IMPORTANT: I forgot to mention and link that this started with an anon ask, so I should give them credit for the idea. Here's where this all started! Additionally, Richard Fisk is an actual Marvel character and the son of Kingpin. All that is straight out of the comics (and animated shows), down to the horrible color choices.

Summary: Steve shelters you from Fisk while attempting to hide the truth from Tony. He's not a great liar...but how much of this is really fake?

Warnings for fluffy fluff of the 21st-fluffery with a teeny bit of angst, 100% idiots in love! Also a quick disclaimer about me knowing exactly diddlysquat about fashion design. I binged 'Next In Fashion' and so this is the best I got lol... WC 4066

You watch Steve blush at your attempted smile. He paws at the back of his head before gathering another confession.

“Actually, I do have—I mean, yes, I wanted to see you, but uh—“ he rushes over to fetch a paper bag he must have stashed as he snuck in behind the cops “—I did have a reason to come.”

In the bag, you find three shirts, and your smile turns more genuine.

“Of course, you did. How romantic.”

You’re still awash with adrenaline; there’s no filter to keep your teasing at bay. You can barely pick up that you said anything anyway.

Steve shrugs, looking down to take back the shirts as Abby returns with a glass of water for you. “Not my best move.”

You chug the water, loudly, unable to regulate how desperately you need it. Abby gently pries Steve’s shirts from his tense arms.

“Right.” Steve rolls his shoulders out, straightening and clearly falling into Captain mode. “We need to get you somewhere safe. I just have to make a few calls and—“

“Don’t tell Stark,” you blurt, hand instinctively grabbing the wrist that holds his phone ready. “I’m sorry. That sounded like an order, just…please don’t tell Mr. Stark.” Tony can’t know that Fisk has been using you as a tailor as well. He can’t. 

Alarm and curiosity flicker behind Steve’s blue eyes, but he hides it well immediately. “Ok. I’ll—” he makes no move to take his arm back “—think of something.”

“And I have three clients left…for the day.”

Abby tsks you from behind though it’s the truth. The empty glass rattles on the tabletop with your faint tremor.

Steve thinks for a prolonged, squinting moment. “After work then. I’ll pick you up.”

You run off adrenaline and butterflies the rest of the day, and yes, whatever liquids or snacks Abby and Dominica (when she returns from her errand) put into your hand along the way, but mostly it’s the fluttering anticipation of Steve that floats you through.

And then he’s back and it’s already dark outside.

“Oh shit,” you burst, politely showing Mr. Chen out while Steve waits his turn to get in the door. He says nothing, but Captain America lowers his head in disapproval at your curse. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time. Let me grab some things.”

You race up the stairs to the apartment over the shop. Your clientele and brand used to be small enough that you could keep those two sides of life separate, but slowly, your work has crept into your living space. Now you survive from a dresser, a hanging rack, and a Murphy bed that doubles as a small desk when it’s upright against the wall.

Not much of an existence, but it’s very practical.

You’re shuffling around with an overnight bag and a dump tote to grab mostly work things and two changes of clothes. One of your assistants can bring you more stuff if/when necessary, but it feels presumptive to think you’ll live out of a safe house for long.

“So…working to live or living to work?”

You jump at Steve’s deep voice from the open doorway. He looks around at the hodgepodge of work benches and mannequins lining the walls.

“It’s a fluid and evolving situation,” you admit, sweeping several binders of fabric swatches and sketch pads into the tote. You eye a work-in-progress on one of the dummies and decide against trying to take it. Too bulky.

In order not to keep Steve waiting, you hand over the tote and head to the car, texting Abby and Dominica instructions the whole drive. Steve assures you that you’ll still have wifi and freedom to communicate, so you don’t have to clear fittings and consults off the books. It simply won’t be wise to invite welcome clients into where you’re staying.

Admittedly, that’s very generous considering you could have been looking at a blackout, witness-protection level of hiding.

You’re still on your phone when Steve opens your car door, and you shuffle with your duffel, his feet at the edge of your periphery to follow. It doesn’t register that you walk down a long hall. It doesn’t register that there’s an elevator ride and another voice. It doesn’t register that you’re looking at a kind of hostel-esque apartment inside another building until you ask if there’s a space you’ll be able to spread out for work.

Steve glows with pride that he thought of that and walks you to a conference room…surrounded by glass…overlooking a 30-story high view of the city.

You’re in the Avengers Tower, formerly Stark Tower.

“Wait, he’s not supposed to know.”

Steve gets your confusion right away. “Tony doesn’t, but without filing paperwork stating the reason you need a safe house, this was the best—“

“Sheers!” the booming voice of one Tony Stark reverberates across 360 degrees of windows. “I thought it might be you.”

“Might be me for what?” you ask as innocently as possible.

“As Capsicles’ first, of course.”

Steve hangs his head while his pal claps him on the back.

“First use of his guest pass that is. Granted, I’ve been saying for years we need an in-house tailor, but no takers…” Stark fake-punches Steve’s shoulder. “Way to break the ice, buddy. I’m proud of you. What happened? You noticed you’re both workaholics and needed your girl…closer to get closer, did you? Good call.”

Steve shoots wary eyes your way, silently praying you ignore that remark or maybe checking you’re okay with the implication. The way Stark says ‘your girl’ as if he’s heard it several times before though…

“Something like that,” you shrug. 

“At least he finally asked you. I kept telling him to shit or get off the pot.”

“Language,” you hiss quietly.

The men look a little shocked for a split second before slowly turning to each other, a silent conversation passed in the empty space over your head. Whatever just happened seems to have really convinced Tony because a wry smile flickers beneath his sinking, pale sunglasses. Yes, of course, Tony Stark is wearing sunglasses at night, just as, of course, Captain America is willingly deceiving Stark to be your fake boyfriend. 

“Romeo,” the building’s namesake coos. “Training them young, I see.”

Steve’s jaw and neck tighten, a raging flush creeping up his pale skin, but he doesn’t argue. Stark buys the ploy, which is great, but in reality, Steve doesn’t even have your personal number.

Tony lifts his hands in surrender and starts retreating to the door. “Look, I hate to take credit—“

“No, you don’t.”

Incredulous, sagging eyebrows dip below his frames. “—but I am very, very good.” He points a finger back and forth between you and Steve. “You’re welcome.”

He tries to peek under a pile of sketches atop your work tote, and you rush to slap your hand down. Stark might see the other designs you’re working on, and just like he can’t know about Fisk, he can’t know about those.

“Fine.” Tony puts his hands up again. “I’m going.”

Steve steps to your side, apology loud in his eyes, and asks if he can make you tea or something stronger, ya know, because Tony has that effect on people.

“Yeah—“ you stare off toward the elevators where Stark remains lurking “—he’s still there,” you whisper.

Steve huffs a laugh and shifts to bridge the mere inches left between you, his hand gently landing on your upper arm and planting a kiss on your forehead like a breeze.

“Better make it look good then.”

Turns out you need tea and food.

You’d been so reliant on your assistants for nourishment that you forgot dinner. Steve sees; he has it covered. Instead of winding down after a trying day, however, you get a rush of energy, and you can’t squander the chance to make crucial adjustments. Every minute counts in the lead-up to Fashion Week.

“May I join you?” Steve asks, ready to walk away with his meal in hand should you prefer. “I won’t take up much space.” He looks down at his shoes and up the two inches above his head to the top of the doorframe. “Ok, much more space,” he corrects.

“You wanted to leave me alone?”

He bites back a smile and shakes his head, settling into the least cluttered corner.

He chats excitedly as you both eat, but after failing to pry some answers about Fisk from you,—‘are you often threatened by clients?’ and ‘can you steer him in another designer’s direction?’—Steve slips away to grab his own art supplies.

You’ve barely looked up until you get a surge of inspiration and search for your colored pencils under the pile of templates. How did they get all the way over there? Since when are red and grey so worn down? Weren’t you needing to replace both blues soon?

“Those in your way? I can move them?”

Steve stops sketching, holding a yellow pencil, the only color missing from the tin. That’s when you realize. He uses the same brand of pencils you do—tools made of quality materials but nothing overly fancy.

“No need,” you marvel. “I just mistook them for my own.”

Steve sweeps a large hand out in offering. “Mistake away.”

You can’t help it. You chew your lip to calm your grin. He’s simply a very giving man who enjoys simple things. It’s refreshing.

“Or we could trade? We seem to use the opposite colors the most.”

“Right,” Steve laughs, “I went on a tear trying for Sam’s suit in-flight. Never turned out.” Shaking his head dislodges a lock of hair, so he runs his fingers through the strategic coif.

“Hmm,” you hum absently, engrossed by his picturesque appearance, “my drawings are more like guidelines for my imagination. No need to be precise.”

“A sentiment I’ve heard many times before.” He slides the tin closer to the midway point between you. “I just want to do beauty justice, which sounds pretentious but…

“Point is—“ Steve lifts his gaze to you with a soft shrug “—use whatever you like.”

You thought your work habits were grueling, but poor Steve flits around at all hours of the day and night with workouts, training, meetings, and missions. He mostly gets to do drive-by waves of ‘hello’ as he travels the building past your glass bubble, always with a smile, always with a tinge of something else. He’s an easy man to read: you can tell when he’s fatigued (in spirit though, not body), you can tell when he’s irritated from stress, and you can tell when he wants to linger but has to go.

It’s incredibly cute. Steve Rogers is just so damn cute.

You continue with business as usual as best you can, video calling during consults and the most critical fittings. Clients aren’t exactly happy with your absence, but they don’t dare complain when the alternative is waiting another month for you to schedule in person. Besides, there are oftentimes you step away from routine appointments to focus on creating new lines.

Dominica is allowed to walk right in with any of your requested supplies since she’s delivered to Stark several times before. She stays for a few hours to touch base. She assures you that Tarik is no longer unnerved by the police car that sits at the curb outside the atélier’s front door. Apparently, Abby takes the cops coffee a couple times a day.

All in all, it’s going well.

One day, you think Steve is showing up for one of your ‘sketch sessions’—where he sits in his own chair somewhere around the huge oval table and quietly works alongside you—but not today.

“They…it’s…” Steve plants his feet on the carpet across from you and looks behind him nervously. Anytime other people are near the room, he walks right over to you to kiss your cheek, a show to keep up the appearance of actually being a couple, but it’s late enough that no one is around. “We do movie night—we’re doing movie ni—we’re watching a movie if you’d like to join?”

You’re tempted to tease him, ask ‘where’s my kiss’ or something that makes that fiery blush creep up Steve’s face, but you grin back. “Sure. I could use the break.”

Honestly, no, you should be hammering out some details for the lapels of this blazer, but ehh, you’re also tired of staring at the same damn jacket.

Of course, this means the lot of them save you and Steve seats beside each other on a couch. You two have only ever sat in chairs in front of or separated by a table, so figuring out how to curl up next to the man you are not dating is an adventure in micro-expressions. You share a look that lasts about two seconds but contains a forty-five-minute discussion of how far is okay to take this and agree that you want to keep up the charade.

Thus, Steve lifts his arm to drape across your shoulders, and you lean into his chest.

It’s a good fit, good enough that you wake up two hours later not knowing what the movie was about and starting to sweat from being so close to his very warm body.

Maybe it’s the eye convo or maybe napping directly on him tells Steve how comfortable you are with him, but either way, he changes to giving a kiss on the cheek or forehead every instance he sees you, no exceptions.

After a week of remaining on the same floor of the same skyscraper and doing nothing but working, sleeping, and movie-sleeping, you’re at your wit’s end, longingly staring out the window at the city below.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Steve asks as he enters the conference room. Forehead kiss this time. His lips feel soft and warm as they ghost over your skin.

“Stuck,” you mutter.

His hand smooths across your back. “Well, how do you normally get unstuck?”

“I go for a walk through the park.” You know you can’t go outside, but it’s difficult to wrangle every bit of bitterness at your captivity. You appreciate all Steve is doing to make it so Fisk can’t get to you, but you need fresh air.

Steve sighs like he’s mad at himself before spinning around the room. “Right.” He grabs your hand. “Come with me.”

In the elevator, Steve explains that in keeping with the eco-friendly intent of the new clean energy tower, Tony made half of the rooftop a greenhouse and the other half a garden. The walking paths are all moss-covered, but there are no benches. Just outside the elevator doors are folding chairs, and Steve grabs two.

On separate chairs with no table in sight, you two watch the sunset on the other side of the building from your work room. You take in a big breath of the chilly air and shiver, completely content to experience freedom away from climate control, but Steve rushes back into the greenhouse to retrieve a blanket from the stack beside the chairs.

“Here ya go,” he stumbles, leaning to tuck the fabric around you. “I should have brought us tea or something,” but when he makes to leave this time, you take his hand.

“You’ll miss it.” He’s probably seen the view from here a million times before, but you don’t want him to go. “Stay,” you say in a whisper.

Steve visibly softens, shoulders dropping, eyes alight. “Yeah?” He sits again and looks at the nearly cloudless sky. “Yeah.” He slouches to get comfy in the small and unsupportive chair, but he looks so at home bathed in the warm pink light. “Each time’s a bit different but—“ he turns to you, smiling “—this one’s better.”

Since the sunset sit-down, Steve makes a point to pry you away from the work area when he has time to hang out with you. The couch isn’t actually far away from the conference room, but it does mean you get to sit together, your feet in his lap while he reads a book, listening to his commentary on the author’s points or sketching aimlessly for fun.

The whole thing feels like a bizarre vacation, some alternate reality where your home life intersects with superheroes. Tony Stark may have been a sometimes-client, but he never let you attempt anything more custom than a three-piece suit. 

You’re not complaining; it’s just weird that Captain America is so average when his uniform comes off. He sinks his face into his palm when he’s sleepy. His yawn is outrageously adorable for how big the man is. He absently holds your ankles steady in his lap when he shifts on the cushions. His eyelids droop, and he repeats paragraphs when he can no longer keep his place on the page.

Steve Rogers could not be more normal, and for this reason, you find him extraordinary.

He gets dressed every morning while you’re there, no sweatpants, no workout wear—or, what did Sam call it? Athleisure? That’s not a word, right?—except for when Steve is actively working out. He thinks it’s too on-the-nose to wear your designs in front of you for days on end, but that limits his options significantly, considering how much of his wardrobe sports a Tovarich label. Good jeans and a black sweater will have to do because today he’s playing model.

It seems the mannequin Dominica hauled in for you isn’t close to the right proportions for your client so Steve volunteered, rewarded immediately with a gorgeous, toothy smile that made his heart thump against his ribcage.

Steve’s chatty but can’t help it.

There was one conversation a few days ago that unlocked so many memories he thought he’d lost.

While he peeked at a few of your sketches, you asked him about clothing in the 40s, and he took your notepad to doodle a bit. Steve drew a common dress from memory to show you girls he grew up with, the pleats and cinches in their exact spots because—now that he has your full and rapt attention—he thinks it’s important.

He’s had to recall maps, battle maneuvers, building layouts, and evil plans more times than he can count; no one’s ever asked him how his mother styled her hair or which shoes she wore to work at the hospital.

They’re just shoes, but Steve sat misty-eyed describing how Ma tied her laces a very specific way, the way she taught him to, the way he still ties them to this very day. He hadn’t thought of why in so long, and ever since, little details keep flooding back.

“Buck used to never tuck in his shirts,” Steve laughs as you nudge his arms higher to check his range of motion in the shoulders. “He’d fix the front half and leave a tail out in the back.”

You chuckle at that. “Unacceptable for proper ol’ Stevie,” you muse.

“No, it was not—“ he drops his head in shame “—and I’d remind him every time.” Steve spins, prompted by the pull of your hands at his waist. His face is on fire, but he promised to help you. He just has to ’suffer’ through your touch, he supposes.

How horrible…

“Sharp dresser, were you? Not a hair out of place?”

“Yes, ma’am, or…at least for my size I was.”

You’re deep in thought, pulling the bottom hem to check how it lays at his hips, checking the lining before buttoning him up. “These might be too flashy,” you mumble. “Gosh, I hope he likes this color.”

“Why not? It’s stunning,” Steve jumps too eagerly at the chance to praise the barely purple fabric. It’s that kind of illusion hue that might look black, navy, or its true shade in different lights.

“And the buttons?” you prod.

He tilts one of the stamped, dark nickel rounds to see the embellishment. “I’d consider that a signature touch of the Tovarich brand,” he beams.

Your elation is contagious until an ear-splitting alarm sounds overhead. You’re so startled you spring backward into a rolling chair and topple to the floor.

Steve scrambles to help you right yourself while the wailing screech continues, but he knows that noise.

Emergency.

He has to go.

You’re holding your elbow, flashing him a thumbs up, and Steve feels terrible yelling to ensure you’re okay.

Agents race past the glass walls, and he really has to run so off he goes, jacket still on.

An incredibly long seventeen hours later, Steve is returning to his room only to notice you’ve fallen asleep at the conference table. He’s pleased there is no bandage on your elbow, so the fall was no worse than bruising, but he refuses to leave you there.

Slowly peeling your face and hands from your drafting paper, Steve wrestles your flopping arms and limp legs into a solid hold to carry you to your own room.

You don’t wake up, not fully, only enough to grip the shoulder strap of his shield harness as he gently lowers you onto the unmade bed. Luckily, your MO is to kick off your shoes when concentrating on work, so once you release the leather attached to him, he pulls the covers over you.

He kisses your temple. “Night, Button,” he whispers like a secret, and for now, it is.

You simply sigh and turn deeper into the pillow.

Steve purposefully finds you at breakfast to ask if you’d want to get lunch with him. Yes, it would just be in the cafeteria on the lower levels, and yes, you two have already shared many meals, but in his mind, this is the actual ask, the question of ‘will you go out with me’ instead of just ‘are you hungry at this reasonable time and may I be hungry in your vicinity.’

It’s stupid, he knows. He’s anxious for your answer anyway.

Steve has a very love/hate relationship with having you essentially trapped in the Tower. On the one hand, you’re starved for interaction and the choice of your surroundings. On the other hand, he gets you all to himself. He’s ashamed of how much he enjoys that perk. Somewhere deep inside, he hopes whatever Fisk is after is never resolved, but that’s wishful—and terribly selfish—thinking.

Just in case going on a deliberate date with him isn’t offer enough, Steve can return your client’s jacket. He hung it in his locker when changing into the tactical suit. It’s safe, but he’ll get it after his debrief. That’s a good excuse. That’ll work.

You’re happy and excited, only making him more nervous, but it’s progress. He’s done ‘round noon after the long meeting scheduled to start in, yikes, fifteen minutes, and you quickly agree. Steve floats on cloud nine, bouncing his foot until dismissed so he can rush back up to you.

He isn’t expecting to see Tony in your bubble.

“You don’t know me, Stark. How dare you!” Your face twists in fury. “Screw this,” you shout, frantic in grabbing your essentials from the table. “I don’t answer to you. I don't need this. Someone else will get my things.”

Steve doesn’t understand why you won’t meet his eye or speak to him as you barrel past. He’s too stunned to follow you to the elevator, it feels imposing to race down and corner you in the lobby, but he marches up to Tony with wide eyes.

“What the hell happened?”

Tony waves him off, cagy and dismissive, rushing off upstairs to his lab, and Steve almost asks if this is about Fisk. If it’s not and he blabs, then you’ll definitely be angry at him. If he grills Tony too much, there might be something that gives away that Steve lied about having a significant other as his guest for two weeks. If Steve admits that he doesn’t even have your number, the jig is 100% up.

But he knows you have his number, he knows he still has a jacket you’ll want back, and he knows one thing he’s incredibly good at.

So Steve waits, ready to apologize, ready to grovel, ready to yell at Tony for whatever. He is just ready and waiting.

@supraveng @1950schick @patzammit @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @bucky-fricking-barnes-reads @fallinallinmendes @deandreamernp @shelbygeek @rogersideup @eyebagsanonymous @darsynia

[Next Part]

[Light Masterlist; Main Masterlist; Ko-Fi]

[ameliathefatcat]

Princess Chloe never got married and had very few long term relationships and no had bio logical kids. She adopted two children (both are redheads lol) George and Abigail. Georgie’s bio mother, Stacy Johnson died when he was two years old and never knew his bio father. Chloe and Stacy were dating since she was pregnant with Georgie. After she died unexpectedly Chloe adopted him. Georgie got two more middle names after Chloe adopted him (his full name is Prince George Albert Stanley Johnson, Stanley and Johnson after his mother and his old last name). Georgie knows about his bio mother and calls both her and Chloe mom. He is the heir to the throne. Georgie has bright red hair, amber-orange eyes. He is very good looking (like his bio mother) and very adventurous and loves the outdoors. He hikes the Norbergian mountains and in the woods all the time. When he is on his adventures he sometimes brings home ‘pets’. Chloe is still traumatized by the time eight year old Georgie came home riding a mama bear with a baby bear following them (Georgie named the mama bear Brenda and the baby bear Teddy. He is still friends with them and Teddy’s younger siblings).

A few years later when Georgie was six years old Chloe adopted a little baby girl she named Abigail Rose Emily Lucille. Abby was an infant when she was adopted. Chloe was told that the baby was going to have disabilities due to a traumatic birth (that killed the bio mother). Chloe didn’t care that her daughter would be disabled she loved her baby girl every since she first saw the little baby with a head full of red hair. Abby has long wavy red hair that she wears in a half-up half-down braid, blue eyes. She is small for her age and uses a wheelchair to get around that she calls Speedster. Abby is very sociable and loves talking with new people. She would talk to royal officials about anything and everything. She often rolls off to meet new people, Chloe often can’t find her in public. Wondering how she can lose her redheaded wheelchair using daughter in public.

Chloe loves both her kids and is amazing other. She hangs with her other royal friends who also have kids around the same age as hers (Georgie is the same age as Val and Alonso’s twins Margo and Juana and Rebecca’s daughter Evie. Abby is a year younger than Elena’s youngest Frankie). She is a single mother and enjoys it since she was raised by a single mother herself. Queen Abigail spoils Georgie and Abby rotten like crazy btw. She absolutely loves her grandchildren and tells Chloe how amazing of mom she is.

[baegarrick]

idk if you've read/seen the book/movie but just... love, simon zukka au ?? sokka as simon and zuko as bram because blue spirit ( though if we r going for it personality-wise maybe switch their roles? idk ! ) — also in this one the friends are exponentially better

ok im so sorry I haven’t actually seen love, simon or read the book but.... I HAVE ACCESS TO WIKIPEDIA SO LETS GO

ok so I was considering Zuko as Simon bc of the musical thing/the loving parent (Iroh), the girl he sees Sokka (Bram) kiss is Suki.... but also bc I just love writing Zuko (maybe I’ll parse that out at the end)

BUT lets go with Sokka as Simon bc I also love writing the Gaang

Sokka is Simon

Katara is both Nora and Abby

Jet is Martin

Aang is Nick (but slightly also Abby)

Zuko is blue/Bram

Suki is Leah (but slightly also Nick)

Toph is Ethan (sorta)

Haru is Lyle

Ok so, obv this follows the plot of the movie/book. Sokka is a gay + closeted junior, not that his dad isn’t loving, but he’s in the military, and occasionally makes homophobic jokes, and Sokka feels like he has to be tough for him, esp. since his mom died. But he really likes making people laugh and so he joins the school musical, which is a comedy this year.

His best friend is Suki, who he’s known since he was a kid, but he’s kinda been withdrawing from her since he got to high school. He loves her, he really does, but everyone always thinks they’re dating, and it kinda makes him uncomfortable. He tried to like her, when they were younger, but he just... isn’t into girls. His friend group is Suki, Katara (his sister, and it was the two of them against the world since their mom died, but he’s pulled away from her too), Aang (a transfer freshman from out of state), and Toph (who spent up till 8th grade at a private school).

Also in the musical is Zuko, a hot senior who’s like.... super lofty. He gets really into theater, but he rarely interacts with people outside his friend group, like he’s better than them or something. (Mai and Ty Lee are also there, they’re Zuko’s friends.) Not in the musical, but in one of the other clubs Sokka is in, is Jet. He got kicked off the football team for being too rough with the other team last year, so he mostly just hangs out behind the bleachers smoking.

Sokka’s on the school’s tumblr one day (shut up, Katara, I don’t have a tumblr!!) when he sees someone posted an anonymous confession saying they’re gay but they really don’t have anyone they can talk to because of their family situation. Sokka gets their email (BlueSpirit) and start emailing (BoomerangDude) them for a couple of months. He learns that Blue’s family has really high expectations of him, and since he’s only a year away from college he can’t mess them up because if he does he’ll be cut off, and he can’t afford college if that happens. He’s got a sadistic little sister (who isn’t actually terrible, she’s just got her own shit going on, and if shoving Zuko in the warpath of their father takes the spotlight off of her, all the better) who would absolutely out him if she knew, a girl he’s pretty sure wants to date him (Mai), and an after-school job (the tea shop) thats cutting into his extra-curricular activities.

This is.... really similar to Sokka, actually, and he likes making Blue laugh (they switch to chatting online sometimes, like discord or some chat app), and Blue has a lot of insights on things Sokka likes (some of the same music,

Meanwhile, Sokka ends up going to this tea shop he heard about from Blue (it had been a slip, Zuko had NOT meant to say too many personal details, but he’d mentioned getting some kind of boba drink) and studying there with his friends. While he’s there, he’s surprised to see Zuko, who he’s never spoken to outside of the musical they’re working on!! (At some point, Zuko checks his phone and laughs, and Sokka’s like, oh no, I’m crushing on.... TWO DUDES???? BAD SOKKA). He starts to wonder if maybe.... Zuko is Blue?? it generally sorta fits, he knows Zuko is also a senior, and the tea shop Blue mentioned.... (to be fair, though, they see like three other kids from school there, so it’s not really a niche place)

Before Sokka can test out this theory, though, there’s a Halloween party which Sokka goes to with his friends. (They go as the Power Rangers.) He sees Zuko there (he’s in some some Kabuki costume), but with him is.... Mai from the play. They’re making out, and Sokka feels his stomach drop-- he’s not gay and Sokka’s crushing on a straight guy. He gets drunk. He throws up in the bushes outside, and Katara finds him, chews him out, and then sneaks him back home.

He emails Blue again, drunk, and says some stupid stuff like he wishes things were easier, and that he thought he knew who Blue was, but he didn’t. (Blue doesn’t reply.)

He’s checking his email on a school computer in the library when the bell rings, and he doesn’t log out properly, and Jet, who is skipping class, finds Sokka’s emails. He confronts Sokka about them, and says he won’t reveal Sokka’s secret... if Sokka helps Jet get with Sokka’s hot sister. Sokka hates the idea, but also, the idea of being outed is really terrifying. So he says yes, and tries to talk up Jet to Katara, who’s a little surprised bc while she thinks Jet is hot, Sokka was super against Jet whenever she mentioned it. Katara is involved in school politics, and convinces Jet to pretend to be interested to spend time with her. (he ends up running against her...)

Around Thanksgiving, with all their extended family there, ribbing him about getting a girlfriend (asking about Suki), Sokka leaves and goes to sit on the roof. Katara finds him there, and demands he spill whats up and why he’s acting so weird, especially about Suki. (she looks freaked out for a moment, and is like.... oh my god, sokka, is suki pregnant?????? sokka blanches at that) He admits he’s gay, and she hugs him, and they stay out there until their dad sticks his head out the window and calls them inside.

Feeling guilty about Jet, Sokka admits to Blue their emails might have been compromised. Blue starts to back away, taking longer and longer to answer emails.

At a football game, Sokka runs into Haru, who starts asking him stuff, and Sokka wonders if he’s Blue, but it turns out Haru is interested in Katara. Upset, again, that he doesn’t know who Blue is, he encourages Jet to “go big or go home”-- and so Jet asks Katara out by bribing the kid who does the scoreboard to switch out his campaign ad for asking Katara out. Katara is shocked, as she thought Jet was really interested in her campaign. She slaps him.

Mad that Katara wasn’t interested after all, and from the slap, Jet outs Sokka anyway, posting the emails on the school’s gossip site. Katara, who was mad at Sokka, instantly forgives him and is on a WARPATH against Jet, but Sokka just wants it left alone. Suki shows up a few hours later, and finds him on the roof. She admits that she had a crush on him, which was why she never said anything when people asked if they were a couple, but she knew Sokka wasn’t interested in her, so she never pushed it. She’s sorry she made it difficult for him to come out to her.

Blue is upset their emails have leaked, and deletes his account.

He comes out to his dad later, in the car, on the way to school on the last couple of days before winter break. His dad takes it well, and apologizes for all of the jokes he used to make-- it doesn’t make it right, but it was the kind of things he and the other soldiers used to say to each other. He ends up taking them to this tea shop he heard about (it’s Zuko’s/Iroh’s shop), and while there, he comes out to the owner of the shop, Iroh, as sort of..... practice. It’s liberating and also terrifying. Iroh is super cool about it, and tells them about his own son, who passed away a few years ago in an accident, was gay. It’s way later than Sokka thought, and when he looks up from the conversation with Iroh, Zuko’s standing in the doorway. not wanting to deal with people from school, Sokka leaves the tea shop without waiting for his dad to follow him.

The next couple of days at school are rough. His friends stick by his side, but Jet’s friends are obnoxious and loud, and Katara punches one of them. She goes to the school, but they’re eternally unhelpful bc.... what can tey do... its not a school website..... Later, Toph tells Sokka she’s a lesbian, and it’s not that she’s hiding it, but... it’s already tough enough when people treat her like she’s glass because she’s blind. They all go home for winter break, and when they come back, Sokka is refreshed and determined not to be put down by a couple of assholes.

He’s wildly surprised when Blue posts on the school’s tumblr that he wants to meet Sokka at the school’s carnival. This draws a crowd, which makes Sokka worried he’s gonna be pranked, but when he sits down on the Ferris wheel, he’s surprised that Zuko from the tea shop/musical sits down next to him.

Zuko says he’s sorry for ignoring Sokka’s emails, and he’s sorry that Sokka got outed to the school, and it wasn’t his fault that Sokka was blackmailed, and he should have reacted better to it. Sokka apologizes too, because Zuko shouldn’t have to be outed either, which... is why they’re here? Zuko blushes, and says he came out to his uncle, who’s letting him stay with him, since he’s tired of going home to his shitty dad, and that he might go live with his mom while he’s in college. He admits the Mai thing at the party was a drunken misunderstanding, and that he likes Sokka. He thinks he’s funny, and they like the same things (theater, music, strange taste in food...), and he’s hoping after this... Sokka might like him too? (they kiss on the Ferris wheel, and Katara takes like, 30 pictures.)

....

alternatively////

Zuko as Simon au-- bc I just wanted to write it out. he lives with his uncle, who’s the loving parent here, not Ozai!! (or his Mom/stepdad but I kinda forgot they existed for like 5 minutes)

Zuko is Simon

Katara is Abby (she’s his lab partner, and they have the same temperment)

Azula is Nora, but she doesn’t really play a big role (she’s an asshole, but also she’s 14 and is Going Through Things. she’s also in the closet and in love with Mai, but she doesn’t know it yet. it takes her a couple of years to figure that out.)

Mai is Leah

Aang is Martin (but less of an asshole. just the embarrassing + frustrated bits.)

Sokka is blue/Bram

Suki is the girl at the party Sokka kisses

Ty Lee is Ethan

---

I HOPE THIS WAS OK, like I said I haven’t actually seen the thing, but now I actually know what the plot is about!! <3333

[thelordstears]

Oh look, more fuckin’ writing, who woulda thunk it????

"There's no heroes nor villains in this shattered mind of mine. Just phantoms that dance in my headspace and leave a haunting echo of what never was.” - Elijah Vanders

“ These fires creep up my skin and leave me horrified of all the burns I've endured, but alas, they are no scald marks of the body, but of the mind.” - Elijah Vanders

“ I miss everything I've lost, everything I used to be.” - Elijah Vanders

“ This world was never for the broken, because people condemn what they might never understand, they tell you it's all in your head, and that's the issue. It is all in my head, and I wish it wasn't, because I'd rather face reality baring my teeth to the sky and bleeding from the lip then face the things I do on the daily.” - Elijah Vanders

“ I could look up at the stars and ask them "Why oh why am I a broken vagabond of this shattered world?" And all they'd do is blink out.” - Darkin Vagabond

“ I must confess, I feel like a monster, and all I can do really is hide from myself.” - Darkin Vagabond

“ Here I am, yearning for a better tomorrow, but all I do is sink into my blankets and know, there is no better tomorrow if I don't fight for it. And so I sleep the night away, fearing what it is the day shalt bring.” - Darkin Vagabond

“ How can I run from all this pain if it's apart of me? How could I possibly escape myself?” - Darkin Vagabond

"We condemn what we do not understand, and thus, we can never learn. Perhaps if the village folk within Salem would've learned more if they had questioned the falsely accused instead of burn them at the stake, they would never howl answers, only pain.” - Ferdinand Lawlor

“ Perhaps we have damned ourselves, but oh well, this is a world damned to Hell, so what is a damned man in a world that's already on fire?” - Ferdinand Lawlor

“ I've learned Heaven is a right, and we've lost it.” - Ferdinand Lawlor

"The end of a rope can either be a saving grace or the thing that kills a man. I've been on both sides of the spectrum, swinging from the gallows of my own sin and pulled to shore by people who care to forgive me.” - Eduardo Villifex

“ I'm not a good man, anymore. I used to be, as most did, but my heart twisted black and pain is all I know these days. But not because I'm in it, because I cause it.” - Eduardo Villifex

"Dis is a long bloody road I walk, dere ain't no end fo' me, just my enemies. So beware me pale red truck and 'eart filled with a desire fo' vengeance, because on dis road dere's corpses litterin' da highway and ain't none'a em gon' be me.” - Randall Lancaster

“I went through da stages'a grief, but dey forgot ta mention da last fokin' one. Anger.” - Randall Lancaster

“ I'm cold as ice, but me 'eart burns wif'a flame so fierce it puts Hell ta shame.” - Randall Lancaster

"I'm on a stage, the audience claps and cheers, but only for my death. I swing from gallows made up of the pain I've faced, I'm choking on my past, kicking air beneath me in a desperate attempt to save myself from this noose. And yet here I am, sputtering up all this darkness in my history.” - Hermann Pastel

“ I am a man, I have never been Pinocchio, and I never needed Jipedo or the Blue fairy to make me a real boy. So oh Mister Kalarook, you are not the whale who swallowed me whole, you are no puppet master, you are a man, and thus you will bleed like one.” - Hermann Pastel

"In a town of wolves, crying wolf will only get you torn to pieces.” - Sav Gothenburg

“ I am no killer, and so I shalt not use this blade for sheep, but instead it shall remain clean until the wolf who tore into me is in front of me with his empty eyes and bloodstained smile.” - Sav Gothenburg

“ I know what he did in the dark, I know what he made in the dark, after all, he made his undoing.” - Sav Gothenburg

“ This world is not so fond of those who're different, I've watched as my father cut men and women down for defying his belief, and though I have escaped him, I have not escaped the memory, of him. I can still see his empty eyes and his bloodstained blade. I will never be whole, because the hauntings of him still plague me.” - Victoria Vaxwington

“ New York is a graveyard of those who committed the crime of being themselves.” - Victoria Vaxwington

“ I have learned sometimes angels must fall so devils no longer fly, sacrifices must be made so the enemy is put at a disadvantage that will lead to their demise in the future, but I do not play a game of chess, I do not put forth my pawns to become Queen's Gambit. I'd much rather call Stalemate then let someone who fights for me, die for me.” - Victor Da Ville

“ This world is full of devils who want to watch angels be torn from the sky on bloodied wings, and so I bare these teeth of mine and scowl at the sky, because in a world of devils, one must become the leviathan.” - Victor Da Ville

“ I am a man of justice, karma to those who have spilt innocent blood, I am a devil to all those who seek hellfire, and refuge for all who seek warmth.” - Victor Da Ville

"When you love someone so much, you know when you have to let them go. Even if only for a small while, it still pains you to do so. My darling Lizbeth, oh how it pained her to see me slink into the night with the stars, but when I returned to her, as the sun always does when it sinks, we danced under the rays of sunshine that slathered across our beautiful dance of shared love.” - Corrie Vendowoft

“ She's beautiful in all her broken pieces, we've both lead lives that left us shattered, but together we molded this glass into a wonderful puzzle that painted a picture of us, and us alone.” - Corrie Vendowoft

“ It is dangerous, to love someone so completely that you'd put your life on the line for them, but so long as I live in danger with her, I will always accept it.” - Corrie Vendowoft

"I could say my life is almost like a photograph, frame by frame I see the beauty through the lenses of love. Snapshots of this love I have force the pain out of my smile, all I know these days is a fiery passion for the woman I stride underneath the sun with, in her arms I feel so complete, so loved in a world that tried to make me hate.” - Lizbeth Samwick

“ I love Corrie, it's not just something I feel in my heart or my mind, but something that trickles down to my very soul and redefines who I am. I fought my desire for so long, I said to myself "She can't be yours, by God she can't." But when she smiled and ran a hand through my hair I knew, by God she's mine. “ - Lizbeth Samwick

“ I would dance underneath the stars with that woman, follow her to the ends of the Earth and charge into a burning building if it mean saving her.” - Lizbeth Samwick

"We yearn for an answer to existence, but I think it's a simple one. To exist is to simply breathe, but the meaning to life is to love the world, as it has always loved you.” - Sabu Thorn

“ Nature has never been sinful, everything in nature has a reason to be there, the cycle of kill or be killed is only relevant for predators, and we were never wolves.” - Sabu Thorn

“ This world was never cruel, we just blame it for it's naturalities, you can not blame a wolf for snatching it's prey, and you can not blame nature for its defense mechanisms.” - Sabu Thorn

"I find that condemning love will only condemn he who damns it. Something so Heavenly and divine could never be sinful, why damn something as beautiful and complex as love? How much hate must you hold in your heart to despise something that never had to do with you?” - Abby Malroodge

“ The only one who can change me, is me.” - Abby Malroodge

“ Where would you pull your strength from if you've never had to be strong? Where would you pull your bravery from if you never knew what it was to be scared? Ya can't truly know what it is to live without a little bit of struggle.” - Abby Malroodge

“ Life isn't awful, moments are, remember this, because it might save you when all seems lost.” - Abby Malroodge

“ We're stars, shimmering in the dead of night, so twinkle on my friend, twinkle on. The world was made for you, so shine." - Abby Malroodge

"I'm not strong because of my past, I'm strong because of my choices, I am not strong because people hurt me, I'm strong because I rose up despite what they did.” - Morgan Mittel

“ I'd rather trek forward than look back, the future is where I'm headed, so why dwell on the past?” - Morgan Mittel

"The only things that've kept me alive are hope, and myself.” - Obi Zenton

“ I've been through plen'y, can't really kill my spirit, because it's always ragin' with some sort of flame that fuels me. Love, hate, anger. All of these things keep me goin', I spose I'm a mix of different emotions that keep my heart beatin'.” - Obi Zenton

“ I'm not just gonna lie down and die quietly, I'm a fighter, a survivor, always have been, and nuffin's gonna change that, nuffin'.” - Obi Zenton

“ I've already faced the world, so what makes you think I can't face you?” - Obi Zenton

“ I look up to the Heavens and pray, "Lord, please save me, we're all damned these days, save me." But all I've been hearing is the dying cries of men fighting for no real purpose.” - Zelene Clifforde

“ We are not wolves, we're human, why don't we act as such?” - Zelene Clifforde

“Savages with bloodstained smiles haunt me.” - Zelene Clifforde

“ People just don't understand, get in the way of history, you become it.” - Richmond Venwokbridge

“ The hounds of Hell could chase me down and I'd face them with a bloodstained blade and sins painted the color red on my sleeve.” - Richmond Venwokbridge

“ I have blood on my name, I'm practically a death omen.” - Richmond Venwokbridge

“ You can't tear my roots from this wicked family tree, because they'll wrap around your throat and swing you from the gallows of my dynasty.” - Richmond Venwokbridge

“ I prayed to the Heavens that she'd come back, she had to be alive. But as I looked to the sky the only answer I ever got was clouds shifting and the sun baring down on me. My mother was my hero, and they say we mimic our heroes, so might I one day bleed like her?” - Ariella Soro

“ If God was real why would he shatter a believer such as I? I used to say Amen, I used to get on my knees and pray. But all that ever got me was the rubble of my crumbled faith asphyxiating me.” - Ariella Soro

"I've dragged buried truths from the dark into the light kicking and screaming, but who ever knew the truth had claws and would tear into me like a lion feasting on a gazelle? How was I to possibly fathom the truth ripping into me just as karma rips into those who've done wrong?” - Lana Peixoto

“ I've always brandished this heart of mine and a pen. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, so why does blood spill while I write of tragedy?” - Lana Peixoto

“This world has stabbed so many knives in my back, and somedays I wonder how I haven't bled out, but the blood trickling down my jacket blends in with the black leather. Because I suppose in a world where the truth is a crime, telling the truth makes you villainous.” - Lana Peixoto

“A man I knew once told me we're all strong in our own right, its what we do with the strength that matters. But how am I to be strong when all it ever got me was beaten into pavement and whipped with the scars of a thousand bloodstained lies?” - Alaina Crossbellow

“Fear the woman with everything left to lose, because she'll fight like hell to keep it that way.” - Alaina Crossbellow

"If love is a battlefield, I'll grab my rifle and go to war. After all, I'd do anything for the woman I love, I'd catch bullets or sling em, I'd kick ass or get my ass kicked, if you love someone, you fight for them, it's as simple as that, really.” - Rachel Vandemann

“ Isn't it beautiful, to be so masterfully intertwined with another that their heartbeat becomes a melody and their smile a song?” - Rachel Vandemann

“ I stare into bloodshot eyes, alvawys vondering how zese hands are my own, zey have spilt so much blood, vatched men go down in spurts of red from zis Tommy gun I sling over my shoulder.” - Sanders Krauss

“ Zis blood on my hands haunts me, zere iz trouble in my daydreams and vickedness in my nightmares.” - Sanders Krauss

“ I shook hands vith ze devil, vith his hatchet shimmering red under ze starless night sky.” - Sanders Krauss

"I'd rather be the final bullet in a chamber than the ones that were fired off in rage.” - Carlita Hellslinger

“ I'm not the best woman in the world, but at least I'm good enough to end you.” - Carlita Hellslinger

“ He holds my heart, this battered scarred heart is his, because I found in all my loneliness, in all my solitude, in all my anger, he loved me. He loved the ugliest parts of me, and he called them beautiful.” - Carlita Hellslinger

“ I've lived in the dark my whole life, what makes you think I don't know what lurks?” - Carlita Hellslinger

"Somedays all I can hear is the echo of my past. But I suppose the sirens of love are louder. I must confess, these scars bleed, and somedays they define me, by God do they define me. But then I remember, it's only a memory, and you have a future to live, girl, so live it.” - Sage Caesar

“ A woman showed me what it is to love, Rosie in all her beautiful strength, showed me that love is no game, there's no losers nor winners, only people in love.” - Sage Caesar

“ This world will tell you you're not worth it, you don't deserve the space you fill, but it tells lies, nasty, vile lies that poison your mind with falsehoods.” - Sage Caesar

“ Fight on, fighter, you're worth the struggle, I promise." - Sage Caesar

"I'm the scary story monsters tell their children to keep em in bed. Beware, beware, sinners of the witching hours, the Midnight Dove soars with bloodstained talons, and her prey cackles underneath a bloodstained blade.” - Elsa Todd

“ May those you've harmed whisper your deeds, may you meet me in the dead of night while my pistol is clean and my aim is true.” - Elsa Todd

“ No sinner deserves grace, so don't beg at my feet, it won't fucking save you.” - Elsa Todd

"I don't believe in normal, I don't believe in a concrete definition to humanity. Because we're all unique, in our own beautiful ways. It's ridiculous, to shackle humanity to a definition, we're all our own people, so how could we possibly define what it means to be yourself?” - Hannah

“ I'd rather be an outcast then someone I'm not.” - Hannah

“ Watchin' your own son fall from grace is tough, 'specially when you raised him ta be strong.” - Betsie Werdelstein

“ Her smile ain't like nuthin' I've ever see, I could compare her ta the sun, or a garden'a daisies and daffodils, but she weren't never just somethin' beautiful ta look at.” - Betsie Werdelstein

“ I's seen what it is, ta be so in pain, that all ya can really do is weep and hope fo' a better tomorra', but sometimes that hope is the very bullet that lodges inta your heart.” - Betsie Werdelstein

“ I could present the truth on a silver fucking platter, and people would say, "Oh how marvelous, but we prefer the lies crammed down our throats." - Marston Calinfranz

“ I must ask the question, why do people fear the truth? Lies are often sugarcoated, but dare you follow the sugar crumbs that lead to a poisoned cube of sugar? You're ants, to the powerful, being led to a poisoned demise disguised as your salvation.” - Marston Calinfranz

"They say home is where the heart is. And so my heart resides in a pitch black forest of wolves. They snarl, they howl, but to them, I am the moon.” - Haymitch Viers

“ I sympathize for the devils of this world, everyone seeks to understand them, but must realize, it is impossible. You must become him, to understand him. Walk a a thousand miles in his shoes, and see why it was that he spilt blood as if it were commonplace.” - Haymitch Viers

”A bow and arrow only draws back in preparation to fling forward. So remember, when you’re being pushed back, soon you’ll be hurtling forward at full speed.” - Cynthia Layden

“ We're all our own, beautiful in all of our uniqueness, fuck anyone who says you shouldn't be you, they don't know your mind, or your heart, so how the fuck can they judge you?” - Cynthia Layden

“ We're all our own Queens and Kings, we rule the castle of our mind and sometimes, your thoughts, the subjects, they want to swing you from the gallows, don't let them man, don't let them.” - Cynthia Layden

"In a kill or be killed world, I will never die.” - Gilderoy Vinefroker

“I made friends with my demons, they wouldn't dare bite the hand that feeds them, but to all those around them that left them starving, they have a feast.” - Gilderoy Vinefroker

“ You can not, and will not, fucking kill me.” - Gilderoy Vinefroker

“ This world was never cruel, but I am.” - Gilderoy Vinefroker

“ In life, there are no winners, no losers, just men willing to get to the end, and those who are left on the board to rot." - Gilderoy Vinefroker

“ How am I to grieve what did happen, if I always ponder, on what didn't?” - Jill Smithens

“ This heart of mine is broken, I could glug down gallons of gin an tonic, inject this poison into me, but it'll never heal my heart.” - Jill Smithens

“ I've given so many life changing advice, as a therapist I know the signs, the warnings, and what someone should do in the circumstance their mind is working against them. But if only, I could take my own advice.” - Jill Smithens

“ Ya know, they say the past is just that, but then why is it always engraved in my mind as a hieroglyphic is in a Pharaoh of old's tomb?” - Shirley Honeybadger

“ They say, to slay a monster, you too, must become one, but I believe it wouldn't be sinful if the rabbits fought back against the coyotes.” - Solstice Moone

“ I am a warrior of the sun, bounding in the pawprints of wolves with crimson claws as to follow them to their cave of slaughter, so one day they might be slain for their wickedness.” - Solstice Moone

“ We are not a bloodstained race, but history paints us as such. We waged war to gain independence, and they call us savages.” - Solstice Moone

“ Sometimes we must raise our blades, instead of our voices.” - Solstice Moone

“ I guess life isn't always gonna be perfect, because what would we do with a perfect world but ruin it?” - June Northutt

“ I spose we're all ghosts of who we were, snapshots of younger versions of ourselves, perhaps who we were is proud of who we are.” - June Northutt

“ I took Thituna's beauty and turned it into darkness, Vialdir's gifts and turned them into curses, but hail me! Hail me! I am a stature of greatness and sinful divinity!” - Destallo Starrend

“ This wicked magic, oh how dark it is, I can see it, the black glow in my veins, the dark blood that flows when I am cut in battle. But I care not, I've been corrupted, and my intention is not to turn back.” - Destallo Starrend

“ The night sky flows through my veins and the stars no longer sparkle, for they imploded and left the nebula in my ribcage.” - Destallo Starrend

“ 'Ow am I ever to know peace, if I don't know if my son, knows peace? I'm terrified of the unknown, because I have no clue what it could hold, does it perhaps hold every single truth I need ta know? Is it where my son resides, or is he in a shallow fucking grave?” - Barbara Alastair

“ I guess all I really got are my memories and the spark of a cigarette, only warmth I feel these days, is in my damn lungs, burnin' me alive from the inside. Only light I could ever reach kills me. I'm like the moth, drawn toward the flickers of fires set to burn me, but because I'm self destructive, I follow the sparks and flickers anyhow.” - Barbara Alastair

“ We have to remember, we were given life, so why not appreciate this gift we've got, huh? I'm a fixer upper, we all are, really, workin' with what we got. Our little flaws, our little quirks that make us who we are, always wonderin' if who we are is who we oughta be. But you know what? Build a castle made of of the hurt, and embrace that you survived it man, you survived it.” - Lydia Hobkins

“ This world is cruel, hellbent on breaking this soul of mine in half, but you don't break the woman with her heart on her sleeve, you don't break me, I only learn.” - Allie Jekylhead

“ This world was never meant for cruel men, people like to think we're all beasts, vying for a throne, but we're people, trying to fucking live.” - Allie Jekylhead

“ I am no barking dog, when I bark, it's a fucking warning.” - Allie Jekylhead

"I'm paralyzed by a feelin', cause all I got these days are memories that poison my bloodstream and leave me as the aftermath of Chernobyl. How am I ta be healthy, when even my heart is got damn poisoned?” - Vector Beckenheimer

“ It's hard, fearin' for the life of the woman you love cuz her mind is ill. But I guess, all I can do is fight for her, cuz she ain't never been allowed ta fight for herself.” - Vector Beckenheimer

“ Alcohol is a poison, and I'm in chronic condition these days, sippin' on poison as if it would fucking save me.” - Vector Beckenheimer

“ I'm sorry, for feeling this way. Is it perhaps demented, to be not okay? Am I a woman sinful to the core, because I have demons in my mind?” - Friella Beckenheimer

“ Life doesn't seem to treat me right, and neither does my mind.” - Friella Beckenheimer

“ My children.. I'm sorry. But I'm a bad influence, I smoke cigarettes to choke on the smoke and down pills to spit up my remaining life span.” - Friella Beckenheimer

“ I'm not much a woman, these days. Just a lost ember in the wind, and one of these days I'll snuff out. I'm the dying spark amidst ash, the last shred of a pencil used over the years and the girl no one can save, because I can't even save myself.” - Friella Beckenheimer

“ I bleed forevermore, what a shame it is, that I hold the bloodied razor and the glossy regret." - Friella Beckenheimer

“ This world is out'a fokes, but I can't be.” - Kiley Swinton

“ I've found just how demented this world is, followin' the shadows of the pine and the regrets'a the wolves. I found a cave of sinfulness, the sirens sang and beckoned me ta the ocean side where they drowned my sense of innocence, and out rose a vengeful beast by the name'a Kiley fuckin' Swinton.” - Kiley Swinton

“ Karma is fair, Karma is just, she always pays her fuckin' dues.” - Kiley Swinton

“ The birds hum, the sun rises, just not fo' me.” - Kiley Swinton

“ I used ta rule the world, at least, my own little world I could call home. But some people don't care, they'll rip the walls asunder just to reach your heart and cut it.” - Beverly Jackins

“ I've been broken, but this tiara of rust and this throne of love will never topple. My kingdom of isolation, may one day become a kingdom of two. All I need ta build an empire is my daughter, even if it's one of pillows and blankets draped over cardboard." - Beverly Jackins

“ Broken and damned, they call me. But you'd be telling the truth if you just called me, broken.” - Warren Shanaghost

“ I am a damned man in the eyes of the public, they think I tormented two young girls I knew. I'm damned if I did, damned if I didn't I suppose.” - Warren Shanaghost

“ I saw that shadowy figure, I saw that beast dressed as nothing more than a child's fantasy. What a damned creature, drunk off the light of the moon and sinning just because.” - Warren Shanaghost

“ I've done some dumb shit, sure, but haven't we all? I mean, come on, if we ain't a little wild are we really living? The answer is no, if ya were unaware. You can't just live in the boxes they've created, you gotta burst out of that box and rip it the fuck up.” - Promise Ryder

“ The world isn't against you, honestly, the world doesn't care about any of us, it's the people on Earth that do. So look around, someone loves you, someone cares. Just hold onto the little moments, cause those are the ones that really count.” - Promise Ryder

“ I've watched angels fall from blinding heights, but I went with them on burning wings, I am a circus act, forced into the cold shadows of the night.” - Jenscella Harburkens

“ Those who are different are not loved by society, they'd tie me to a stake and burn me, if they so could.” - Jenscella Harburkens

“ Psycho! They say, psycho! But I'm just a lost girl with haunted memories, why damn me when you could damn my abuser? But no, the story of the boy who cried wolf is always told, but seldom told is the tale of Jenscella, the girl who told the truth, but was never believed.” - Jenscella Harburkens

“ I'm a fool for her, I'd dance underneath a stage collapsing, or hold her hand in a battlefield.” - Zoey Shurrick

“ Just because my memories reflect pain, does not mean that is my future.” - Zoey Shurrick

“ My sister is a superhero, in my eyes. She doesn't shoot lasers from her eyes or wear a cape. She wears a suit she hates and a smile despite her past.” - Zoey Shurrick

"Way over yonder I would'a looked at my torn wings and think, by God, how far have I fallen? But now, I sit here in the tatters of my wings and realize, not every plummet ends with death.” - Connor O’Day

“ My nightmares haunt me, my sins plague me, but my love saved me.” - Connor O’Day

“ She's a soldier, and I'd say she's mine, but I think what's beautiful about her is, she's her own.” - Connor O’Day

“ I used ta be ruled by my trigger and how fast I could pull it, but nowadays, I'm defined by love, not my past, not my future. But love.” - Connor O’Day

“ So sisters, brothers and none of the above in arms, won't you join me, on this journey home? We're all so lost, and yet found by each other. We found sanctuary in each other's hearts and home in the storms of love. We are no beasts, no sinners, no saints. Just men, women and everything in-between, lookin' for a purpose on the wind, knowin' it was always family and each other." - Connor O'Day

"Life is like a painting, it gets a little messy and mistakes are made along the way, but who ever said one wrong sway of the brush ruined the piece? We're not perfect creatures, so why pretend to be?” - Jane Van Steenburg

“ I know these days sinners play as saints, but I find once you learn to differentiate the two, the wolf's smile flickers.” - Jane Van Steenburg

“ I'm a black stallion gallopin' on a path'a cobble and thorns, follow me or don't, but this world need heroes, so lets be the heroes we deserve. I don't got no cape, just my twin revolvers and some rebellious bones.” - Granville Van Steenburg

“ I got my guns, and I got my name, and I've learned that's all it takes ta survive. That and a little bit of hope.” - Granville Van Steenburg

"The sun don't shine on da soldiers, and so we learn ta accept da moon. We twist and turn, twirlin' in da moonlight in an ungraceful dance dat burns us wif' our sins. But ey, sinnin' hurts, but so does bein' da hero.” - Winfield Coleman

“Me bones are wicked, can'tcha see? I'm a cold shadow'a the man I used ta fokin' be, ever since I stepped inta the fires'a war, I knew what it was ta die, mate. You hear the story'a the boy who went ta war whole, but came out strong. But seldom told is the tale'a da soldier who walked out wif' rage in 'is eyes and a snarl on 'is lip. War is Hell, dey say, but Hell is Hell, war is war.” - Winfield Coleman

“ We're all damned nowadays, we're all sinners, and so I took it ta the highest degree. Murder'a the conscience." - Winfield Coleman

"I suppose in a world of mystery, we too are unsolved cases, and we must find who we are and search for the clues inside our hearts.” - Carlita Lorenz

“ I'm always going to stay on this road that leads to nowhere, because with those two women, I don't need a destination, just them. I believe in myself and my loves, and I'll always be a star, shining on if only to light up the night sky, to help the moon in her lovely presence." - Carlita Lorenz

“ I'm on a highway of red lights, a path of broken glass, but why not keep this dance in my stride and pride in my smile?” - Hailey Courtney

“ She's my hero, even if she feels like nothing more than a villain. I love her, she's taught me everything, to be strong, to be me, to laugh and enjoy what I have. She doesn't have a cape, she just has a chipped smile and an old tattered sweater.” - Hailey Courtney

“ I'm always gonna face the world with a smile, because if I can face a nightmare smiling, who can stop me, really?” - Hailey Courtney

"The world's a scary place, and sadly, with me in it, it's even more so.” - Keaton Devoncross

“ I'm both the cat and the dog, chasing my tail and running up a tree in cowardice, I'm not a good man, filled with such sins that they could kill any normal man, he'd jump off a cliff side, knowing what I do.” - Keaton Devoncross

“ I worry about things I shouldn't, always been an anxious child, scared of the world and scared of myself.” - Keaton Devoncross

“ Oh how wicked we are, with our claws of iron and rows of needles that prod our gums.” - Keaton Devoncross

“ We made a mockery of these commandments, thou shalt not kill, so instead we killed the mind. Thou shalt not steal, so instead we stole memories and joy. We are thieves of happiness, we stole the stars and let them blink out.” - Keaton Devoncross

“ We have destroyed the meaning of humanity, because these days we're monsters, tearing into whatever's left.” - Keaton Devoncross

"Step into the ring! You'll find here we all share one very similar trait! We wear sins on our sleeves and scars on our hearts! And here, the only way to find purpose, is to fight for it. You might die in the process, but it is a price you must be willing to pay! You are gladiators and gladiatrix's, fight, fight! Fight or die! Kill or be killed!” - Jorovany Ringmaster

“ I am Jorovany Ringmaster! Sinner of the highest degree! I wear both horns and halos, because too trick the saint, I must act like him.” - Jorovany Ringmaster

“ Blood stains the walls, ghosts fill the halls, and a mad man runs the show! You can not escape the arena, for it's always in your memory.” - Jorovany Ringmaster

“ Always was I born to be a beast of bloodied fang and crimson talon, but my heart does beat for someone, but it does not beat for the fool who dares trample the wolf. Adraina makes me feel such curious things, she protects me and says my damning acts are not so damning. She calls me fallen angel, but damned I am, and if she is by my side, damned is she.” - Maya Van Hunters

“ I do not regret what I have done, it doesn't seem to be in my bloodstream, my family tree is made up of rotten bark and branches with gallows our enemies swing from.” - Maya Van Hunters

“ Living is such a damning act, we were born so cold, so bloody. So it seems I never escaped the cycle of cruelty, and I suppose I never shall.” - Maya Van Hunters

“ As I have seen it, this bloodline ends with me, because I bare no child to continue our sinful ways. The wicked roots of my history shall fester and rot, the world will remember the Van Hunters name as a wicked one filled with sinful desires and love for a singular woman.” - Maya Van Hunters

“ I've hit rock bottom a thousand times, but I suppose all it takes to find the top is to climb.” - Rayford Gold

“ My brothers are good men, Robert and Crawford, stuck by me in my darkest times, it's hard to find people like them, who you can laugh and cry with. Some people love you only when it's light, but the ones who're true, love you even in the night. I have found so much, in this world. Money doesn't buy happiness, only friendship and love can do such a thing.” - Rayford Gold

“ I am not a bad man, just one who's made some bad choices.” - Rayford Gold

“ She saved Crawford's life, but her smile saved mine.” - Rayford Gold

“ Don't you dare damn me without knowin' my broken and hellbent past, vengeance is the only thing that drives me nowadays, I'm a broken creature of broken tusk and dented armor.” - Julie Forkroad

“ I got bullets with their names on it, Tilda, Maya, you best watch out, the monster you created is chargin', and her horns will skewer you, choke you on the blood you've spilt.” - Julie Forkroad

“ This future of mine is bloodstained, because my past is bloodstained. I can't escape all this pain because those ghostly women haunt me, their memory is damning, their existence is frightening. But I suppose, on this damned path, I became a reflection of them.” - Julie Forkroad

“ All I have left is my gun and a few empty prayers.” - Julie Forkroad

"It ain't the hatred spread that's remembered, I've learned. Yes, wicked deeds lay on the pages of history, but it's the actions that rid us of the dark, that lay in our hearts.” - Joyce Huffelsburg

“ I have saved so many little boys and girls from a life of trauma and the high risk of finding them swinging from the end of a rope for the sins of their mothers and fathers.” - Joyce Huffelsburg

“ Help people and put other's above yourself, and people will remember you as a hero, but that was never the point. It was always just to do the right thing, wasn't it?" - Joyce Hufflesburg

“ We're all fighting our own battles, whether they be physical or mental, and we gotta attain victory, or we'll never make it.” - Levanna Scorchton

“ I could make an explosion with a single match and an ocean with a single drop of water. That's just how deeply I love, if I couldn't love, I think I'd be driven to hate.” - Levanna Scorchton

"All the money in the world doesn't make one rich, but love? It'll make you the richest person in the world.” - Moriah Castelonia

“ Words can teach so much, but seldom do people speak them in meaningful ways.” - Moriah Castelonia

“ She was just another homeless woman to the world, but when I saw her, shivering on that street, flecks of snow in her golden hair, I knew I had to do something. Everyone passed her by, but if I had, I never would've been found in such a beautiful dance. She's my golden star, wise and lovely. She's taught me so much, we lived in separate worlds, I grew up with silver platters and everything I thought I needed to be happy, while she grew up with nothing but her hope and grit to carry through. Our worlds collided, and now they're so beautifully intertwined.” - Moriah Castelonia

"The question must be asked, is a church steeple dripping with the blood of the fallen still a holy scene? Or has it been scorched by the devil's flame?” - Father Goriah Thorell

“ If we're all sinful, is it such a stretch to say none of us are forgiven? Either God is forgiving and loving, or he's hateful and unforgiving.” - Father Goriah Thorell

“ There's blood on my Bible and sins sitting on the pew.” - Father Goriah Thorell

“ Such damned, and unholy things we are. Sinning with cause, and without it.” - Father Goriah Thorell

"Super heroes only exist in comics and action movies, the real heroes wear cowboy hats, flannels and are no different from you and me. Anyone can be a hero, all it takes is a little bit of will power.” - Mike Pennington

“ I never expected fatherhood to be pushed on me, so suddenly. But.. when my sister left this world.. I had to take care of her daughter, I had to take care of little Dalia. She's a smart kid, made me really proud, ya know? Some people only want her because she's smart, but I love her because she's goofy and fun, full of spirit and wisdom ain't no one ever see coming. She'll blow you away, man, she really will. With all her snark and love, she's a cute kid, and might I one day find her again.” - Mike Pennington

“ I'm no superhero, just a man who's willing to fight.” - Mike Pennington

"To a rich man, the heart is of little value, but to a poor one, it's all he has.” - Dornstecker

“ I've found New York is rampant with corruption and a darkness so smothering I sputter up the air I breathe.” - Dornstecker

“ You can send your thoughts and prayers to those who died, but it won't change a damn thing, all we can truly do is raise our voices and fight against this injustice. Staying silent to such evil only tolerates it, and I won't stand for it. I am a simple goblin, I clock into the bank at seven thirty, I do my job and hope no poor sod comes in with a gun, I clock out and feed my cat and sleep at nine o'clock sharp.” - Dornstecker

“ I have learned we're all paying the Devil's price and he is no pitch forked wielding entity, he's our politicians and our leaders hiding the blood behind their teeth with a pearly white smile. Despicable wolves, every last one of them. Hiding behind their suits and ties, with their large fancy estates.” - Dornstecker

“ We are many, and so why do we stay silent in the midst of horror? Are we to gobsmacked to do anything? Get over the shock of the situation and do something for God's sake.” - Dornstecker

"I think I need to raise my rifle ta fate and say screw you, you've been an asshole, I'm taking matters inta my own hands. Yeah, shoot fate in the heart, it ain't never been very fond of me anyway." - Church Godsel

"My misery overpowers my joy, these days." - Dale Markus

"I play with fire, but it is not I who burns." - Javier Cross

"I used ta say God is always watching, he's by you, he's by you! But now I sit and ponder, where was he when his son bled?" - Nestor Bevelricks

"We will fight until we are dead and buried, and when we are buried we will be remembered by the one's we call family, because family never forgets, friend." - Titus Hawley

"My regret is deafening, I imagine it's the only thing keeping me from hearing the cries of those I've wronged." - Simon Drogace

"He's a fool to trust me, and his family will pay dearly for his mistake."- Quentin Satchel

"If the truth is a sin, call me holy." - Quentin Satchel

"In a world with men like me peace can't exist." - Elton Seaderfault

"My sins crash on me and bury me underneath the wicked soil of my history." - Sean Gale

"So come on, call me a bad man, call me crazy, but I think, you're the crazy one, because you just pissed off Saul mother fucking Northutt, and your life span, has abruptly been cut short."  - Saul Northutt

"I battled my demons, they wore plastic grins, and wielded empty promises." - Saul Northutt

"I'm a bad, bad man, walking through the fires of hell, runnin' through these pages wonderin', when the fuck do I run out of pages to tear the fuck out mercilessly?" - Saul Northutt

"We've taken five hundred steps back in this harsh dance with the darkness." - Alonzo Graves

"You trust a man with your life and you've dug your own grave." - Clayton W. Scarrberry

"Don't mistake your scars for weakness, they built you. Be proud of the strength it took to bare them without turning them on other's." - Rando Ballsy

"If my regret caught up to me vengeance would never be an option." - Dallas Lightsworth

"I see my grave error, I became a monster when my people, and most importantly my daughter needed a man they could look up too." - Bardzimi Talos

"Bob fucking Weathers, well I think that'll look real nice etched onto a tombstone." - Alastair Riseman

"How can God judge me for my sins when his sins can't be fucking counted?" - Roxane Vanderburg

"Do not speak of death as if it has seeped through your rotten skin." - Fandelhimer Bewitchasphere

"The world's filled with killers and vagabonds of Hell, guess I gotta make due with what I got and keep my pistol close." - Espifanio Vanderhoof

"These sins are heavy for those that trust me." - Michael Blomquist

"If I am ta be damned, may I burn Jasper with my fury." - Lileen Nallmorker

"The worst place I've ever resided is my memories." - Lucretia Covington

"Mother, father, forgive me. I never wanted to become a ghost haunting your memory." - Lucretia Covington

"My heart is buried in the pitch black forests in a pinewood box." - Belle Nalroma

"My troubled mind seldom brings me peace. Spose it's a wayfarin' stranger on a desolate road." - Gary Heartlock

"No one sympathizes for the devil it would seem." - Ruby Vollstale

"Revenge is a no man wins game, so here I am, losing." - Cole Milwood

"These sins at my back tell the tale of a lawful man forced to break it." - Aristead Solace

"The world has never favored the man who fights, have you ever noticed it's easier to give up than raise your fists? Easier to stay silent, than speak your mind?" - Timotheus Naziger

"The world cares not for the girl with her ferocious bark and fierce bite. And so the dog learns to become cold just as those who shied away from it." - Abaddon Whilsteila

"Fear never got me anywhere, being feared however did." - Abaddon Whilsteila

"You can not trust the wolf not to devour the lamb. So why put me in a field of peacemakers and expect me to come out without bloodstained hands?" - Caldwell Ramirez

"The world was never in your favor, ask the stars a question and you'll get howls." - Caldwell Ramirez

"The world is bathed in a wicked desire for no other reason than to dominate and conquer. These days we're repeating history and expecting a different result." - Nial Morranann

"Devils ain't wearin' no horns, brother, they got pearly white smiles and share your qualities." - Simon Rossburg

"Cold world we live in, spose all the flowers were kilt and all we're left with is the withered daffodils." - Morton Strawbellow

"Here I am, in a Hell of my own making, cause all I do is hurt myself, and Hell is repeated pain, so here I am, making my life Hell." - Ash Caesar

"People listen to words written on paper as if they were truth, they do not need to see to believe, and so all they'll ever do is ignore the truths that are spoken from the tongues of the people. You can not know truth, if all you breathe in is a lie." - Romanez Callowitz

"My mind is a prison of memories, I've lost hope to see my sunshine again, I begged the world not to take her away, she was my one and only. The star in a night sky that felt dark, but she blinked out, and all I'm left with is a photo album that depicts the memories before my daughter became a snapshot of a memory." - Darlita Romilez

"Chivalry dies when it finds war." - Joe Paquil

"I'm cursed with this never ending affliction to burn for my sins. But I spose a father's duty is to keep on fightin', if only to see his kids grow." - Marrows Redshaw

"Ain't the hate, that made me. But the love and the heart." - Samuel Bones

"I've been chasin' down my dreams since I could walk. Does Justice really think he can twist em into nightmares?" - Rodrick Taywillow

Carry on, they say, carry on. But this storm is not so merciful." - Ebenezer Vanderholt

[kar3npage]

Edens Twilight

New chapter of Sewing Scissors and Throwing Knives is up! Read the rest of the fic here on ao3 Last chapter: Neil gets measured a meets Abby, he shocks everyone by convincing Andrew to do his job.

Friday comes faster than Neil was ready for.

After the initial outrage (from Kevin) and shock (from everyone else) when they found out that Neil had somehow managed to talk Andrew into cooperating with the team, they had showered Neil with warnings and tips to avoid the Friday outing.

Dan had alluded to something bad happening when Matt went with Andrew and his crew to Edens, and Jeremy’s smile had dimmed somewhat when he heard about the trip. No matter how hard everyone tried to fight against Neil going, he knew that he would never back out. He was curious about where the concern came from and vowed to one day hear the stories, but for now he had made a deal. Neil wasn’t one to just back out of deals.

By the time 9pm rolled around (the time that Andrew had made him promise that he would be ready), he had completely forgotten about the entire trip.

Preparing for a fashion show was a great deal more complicated than Neil had realized. Sure, he knew about the complications that could arise and the amount of work that was required to prep for such a large show, but he had never seen the work that went on up in the designers chair. So far he had been dealing with the venue for Kevin, had chats with various staff (Seth) who didn’t want to have their toils ready for fittings, and all sorts of other strange tasks that he never would have thought to worry about.

Sometimes Neil was so busy and focused on his work that he forgot that he was being hunted.

The knock on his hotel room door had Neil moving fast, reaching for a gun that he no longer had with him. It took a breathless moment for him to remember that he was going out for the night.

However, the paranoia was difficult to get rid of, so Neil opened the door carefully and slowly. Nicky stood there was a huge grin and a bag. He only waited for the door to open a smidge before shoving the bag into Neils hands.

“Get changed and then we can get going,” Nicky says cheerfully. 

“Why do I have to change?” Nicky looks him up and down and makes a face. “Neil, your gorgeous and all that, but there’s only so much that a pretty face a good body can do. You need better clothes.”

Neil considers arguing, then decides that it would be easier just to change. To spite Nicky, he makes him wait in the hotel hallway. Neil is pretty sure that Kevin forgot to find him an apartment, since he hasn’t mentioned Neil leaving the hotel yet.

It’s a usual sight to see the maserati parked comfortably in front of the hotel at night. What isn’t so usual is the appearance of not only Nicky, but a second Andrew. Neil knew about Aaron Minyard, he had read the newspaper articles about the attack that let Andrew off of his meds during fashion school, but he never actually expected to meet him. He had lost interest in Aaron when he started studying medicine.

It’s jarring to see someone with Andrews face who emotes so much. Or maybe he doesn’t, but it just looks extreme compared to Andrews blank mask. Neil thinks that he prefers the lack of emotion to the sneer of distaste that he’s getting as he gets shoved in between Nicky and Aaron in the back seat of the car.

The music is loud enough that no one can really speak, though Nicky and Kevin do try. They’re arguing about something, but Neil has a sneaking suspicion that they’re arguing about two completely separate topics. If anyone else notices, they don’t say anything.

The diner that they stop at before Eden’s is unexpected to Neil. Enough so that he immediately looks around in suspicion, waiting for someone to pop out from a dark corner. He doesn’t notice Andrew watching his vaguely panicked reaction until they’re almost inside. Andrew raises one eyebrow when Neil makes eye contact with him; Neil avoids his eyes for as long as he can after that.

It’s tough work not looking at Andrew when Neil is so used to tracking his every move, but it does make it easier for him to notice the cracker packets. Drugs.

Neil has heard about the crazy lives that successful designers and models live, of course. He never thought that he would run into it, not with Kevin and his health craze and work ethic. He has a brief taste of disappointment in Kevin.

After the uncomfortable silence of Sweeties that was only broken by Nickys increasingly desperate attempts for conversation, it’s actually a comfort to get to Edens. 

Edens Twilight is the sort of club that Neil has been in before but never had wanted to go to again. It was loud, bright, and filled with people wearing various sorts of corsets and leather and straps. It was too much, yet Andrew and the rest seemed at home here among the insanity. 

They get in without any trouble--in fact the bouncers nod at them and give Nicky some sort of complicated handshake as they walk in. 

Most of the group splits off to find an empty table, but Andrew snags Neils sleeve and pulls him toward the bar.

There’s barely any space and people keep bumping into Neil until he’s much closer to Andrew than he’s ever been to anyone in his life, other than maybe his mother. He does his best to keep an inch of space between the two of them, but the club is filled to the brim.

He’s already hot and sweaty and he’s only been here for a few moments. 

“Andrew, we’ve been missing you! Well, I have at least,” a tall, muscular bartender winks at Neil as he sidles up to them. He’s already working on drinks, though Andrew hasn’t ordered anything yet.

“And who's this?” He says to Andrew. The blond fits him with a bored stare that’s getting close to hostile. The bartender gets back to work but is otherwise unbothered by Andrew.

“Just the normal, Roland.”

“And for your new member?”

Andrew turns to look at Neil. 

“I don’t drink,” Neil shouts over the music. Roland and Andrew have some sort of silent conversation and Roland shrugs and pours a soda into a glass for Neil, then shoves the overfilled tray towards them. 

Andrew lifts the tray with precision and comfort, and he has no trouble getting through the crowd without spilling. That would probably explain their easy access to the club, Neil decides.

The other three men attack the tray the minute it hits the table with the desperation of those suffering from dehydration. Aaron somehow manages to continue glaring at Neil throughout it. Neil pretends that he didn’t notice the three of them pour packets of powder into their drinks before they downed them.

“We’re going to go dance, coming with?” Nicky leans over to shout in Neils ear. He can feel the music pumping through his body. Or maybe that’s his anxiety, it’s tough to tell. He doesn’t respond to Nicky, just shakes his head. Nicky drags a still glaring Aaron and already spaced out Kevin to the dance floor behind him. 

Neil is ready to book it by the time Andrew finally speaks up. 

“What are you running from?” he says calmly, still working on his scotch.

The muscles in Neils body freezes. He swings around to face Andrew, looks him in the eye for the first time since Sweeties, and gets ready to leave. Italy would be a nice change.

He has to take a breathe before answering, deciding to play it safe.

“What are you talking about? I’m not running from anything.”

Andrew snorts and gives Neil a dirty look. “You are the first person to ever take more than five minutes to consider working with Kevin, you nearly had a panic attack when you realized that we were on the top floor of the building and you couldn’t escape easily, your find the exits in every room before you look at anything else, do you need me to continue?”

When Neil doesn’t answer right away Andrew leans forward until their noses are nearly touching.

“The thing is, this is the easy way. I have other methods of finding out the truth from you, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them.”

“Why?” Neil’s heart beating so hard that it hurts his ribs.

“Because Kevin and I have a deal. And if you’re running from who I think you’re running from, you could be making me break that deal.” Andrew blinks slowly. Neil can see flecks of gold in his eyes, they’re so close. “I never break deals.”

“Who do you think I’m running from?”

“The Moriyama’s.”

Neil knew he was going to say this. He knew exactly what was going to happen here, but the world still stops for a jarring second.

There are a few ways that Neil could deal with this. Option one: admit that he’s running from the Moriyamas and let Andrew kick him out. He would be safer far away from here anyway. Option two: play stupid and make up a new sob story to explain his fidgety tendencies, and hope that Andrew doesn’t see through the lie. Or, he could use a bit of both. Use just enough of the truth to make Andrew believe him, just enough of a lie to keep him here at Alli Rey.

Neil needs to decide. He can’t decide.

“What makes you think you have any power over me?” he says instead.

“Kevin listens to everything I say, whether he wants to or not. I can make him fire you.”

“Why do you think that I would tell you the truth to avoid that?”

A muscle in Andrews jaw twitches. “You look at the office like it’s the most magical thing you’ve ever seen. You’re as much of a junkie as Kevin is, and that’s saying something.”

Neil really, really wants to stay.

“What do I get in return for telling you the truth?” he relents.

“You get to stay.”

Neil is almost getting cross eyed looking at Andrew from so close. It’s like a game of chicken, and so far neither of them have moved away. When Neil fails to look impressed with that offer, Andrew sighs.

“We’ll play a game. Truth for a truth. I start. Who are you running from?”

Neil chickens out and moves back. “My father,” he chokes a bit on the word. He hopes it adds to the realism of the story. “My father worked for the Moriyamas. He was low on the ladder, no one cared much about him. Until he stole money from them and ran. They found my parents and… and killed them. I have what’s left of the money, and I’ve been on the move ever since.”

He sneaks a glance up at Andrew then turns to stare at his untouched glass of soda. 

“I’ll make a deal with you.”

That is the last thing that Neil expected to hear. He forces himself not to react, to wait for Andrew to explain himself.

“I watch your back, and you make sure that Kevin doesn’t go running back.”

“Kevin would go back?” Neil can feel his nose wrinkle up in disgust. He only spent a few weeks with Riko all those years ago, and there is nothing in the world that would make him go back.

“Yes. Do we have a deal?”

Andrew offers a hand to Neil, who stares at it until he realizes what it’s there for. He nods and gives Andrew a firm handshake. 

He tries his best to sit still and act like their conversation didn’t shake him to the core, but Neil has an urge deep in his bones to move. He excuses himself to the bathroom to Andrew and starts to fight his way through the crowd.

“Neil!” he hears someone shout. “Neil, hey!” 

He stiffens and turns, ready to fight. Nicky stumbles over his feet as he makes him way over to Neil. He throws his arms around him and Neils entire frame tenses. He can’t help himself but throw up his arms to shove Nicky away.

Nicky clings to his shoulders and kisses him. 

The shock almost makes Neil not notice the overly sweet taste to the kiss, and as Nicky lets himself be pushed away, the salty aftertaste. 

It’s too much.

Neil was already shaky and spent from talking to Andrew, and now his body is already failing to follow his instructions.

“No,” he mumbles or shouts.

Was green the colour for exit? Or was that red? Was this the way to the bathrooms? Neils feet are doing their best to walk somewhere, but with all of the jostling and people they aren’t managing their job.

That’s about the time that Neil’s memory starts to get patchy.

[cal-puddies]

girl’s night || ashton irwin

just fluff... if this goes over well, i might post the calum fluff later... or wait a couple days.

Ashton knocks on your door. He waits patiently for you to answer, only hoping that you're actually home. He couldn’t remember why you weren’t seeing each other tonight, just that you weren’t. But he needed to see you, something had tripped a bad headspace and he just needed to see you.

You finally answer and Ash takes in your appearance: his t shirt, a pair of sleep shorts, hair up and a mess, a face mask, and a glass of wine.

“Girls night.” He breathes. “Of course.”

You take in his appearance, glasses on, hair disheveled and he’s wearing his emotions all over his face. “Yeah, but come in babe.” You open the door wider and let him step inside. “You ok?”

“Yeah… I think so. I just needed to see you. I’m sorry, I’ll go. I forgot.” He mumbles, looking at the floor.

You move in closer, trying to be careful not to get the mask on him, but you wrap your arms around him. He embraces you back and he loses some of the tension in his shoulders. “S’ok handsome.” You smooth his hair with your free hand. “Can you wait here for me, for a minute?” You ask. Ash pulls back and nods. He may have lost some tension, but now he looks a little like he’s going to cry. “Have a drink babe.” You hand him your wine glass, “I’ll be right back.”

You walk into the living room to your girls that were over. “Who was it?” Liv asks.

“It’s Ashton… do you guys mind if he joins?” You ask.

Abby sits up, “wait… it’s girls….” Liv smacks her arm.

“She wouldn’t ask if something wasn’t wrong… of course he can.” Liv insists. The other girls agree. “2 conditions. He has to mask too, and we want Calum to come over.”

“We can probably get the first, I’ll see what we can do for the second.” You roll your eyes a bit. You walk back into the foyer and look at Ash, holding your hand out, “come with me baby boy.” You say quietly. Ash hands you the glass back and he takes his shoes off, then grabs your hand. You pull him into the kitchen. “You can stay. The girls agreed. But you have to mask too, and they want to know if you can get Calum here.” You say quietly. “You want wine or a beer?”

“It’s a night with the girls, I’ll do wine. And I’ll give Calum a call.” He comes over to you and wraps his arms around you, resting his head on your shoulder. You wrap your arm around his head. “Thanks baby, thanks for letting me stay.”

“If it was up to me, you would have stayed regardless, the girls are the ones that agreed.” You grin.

“I’m gonna call Cal.” He mentions, pulling away as you pour a glass of wine for Ash. You watch him talk to his best friend. He pulls the phone away from his face, “he’s gonna come, he said he’s dressed down and he wants to bring Duke, also asked if you all needed anything?”

“Duke’s fine, we’ll probably need more wine and if he wants to pick up fries and pizza, no one will complain.” You smile.

Ash relays the message, “ok, let me know when you’re here, I’ll come out and help out. See ya soon Cal.”

“You need another minute? They’re gonna ask you a ton of questions about us.” You warn. Ash had met your friends, but only briefly multiple times. Liv is the only that had spent any time with him and Cal.

“I might just wander to your room and change then, and wait for Cal.”

“You owe the girls a face mask, so you’re gonna have to come out eventually.” You laugh.

Ash wraps an arm around your waist pulling you against him. “Is there any chance I’ll get to talk to you alone tonight?”

“I think it’ll probably have to wait till tomorrow.” You reply quietly.

“Ok, that’s ok.” He agrees.

“D’you need to talk Ash?” You rub your fingers along his scalp.

“No, I’m not here to ruin your night.” He kisses your neck. “Tell the girls I went to go change and then they can mask me.” He chuckles.

You watched him leave the kitchen and head toward your room. You watched his neck and his back, trying to gauge the tension, how bad it was and what was causing it. You weren’t too worried about it, you’d been with Ash long enough know that sometimes he had moods and sometimes you could help, sometimes you couldn’t, but he always found relief with you.

Ash walks back in the room in a pair of basketball shorts of his you had, and the T-shirt he came over in. The girls were drilling you about the sex, which you continued to be tight lipped about, even as he walked in the room.

“Ashton!” Liv said excitedly. “Come sit by me! I’ll do your mask and we can talk about your amazing girlfriend.”

Ash raises his eyebrows at you and you shrug. “Mmk, but I have to go help Calum when he gets here.”

“Calum’s coming?” Abby looks panicked for a moment.

“Yeah, he knows it’s a girls night and he does shit like this with his sister all the time. You’re fine.” He waves her off.

“Please try to be normal Abbs, Cal’s my friend…” you roll your eyes.

“Your very hot friend… no offense Ash you’re hot too, just taken.” She defends.

“None taken.” He chuckles.

“I’ll seriously ask him to leave if y’all don’t act right. He doesn’t need to come over here on his time off to have y’all act like fangirls.” You sigh, “and don’t treat Ashton that way either.” You point out.

“Ok, ok… we get it.” Abby sighs, “be cool.” She holds up her hands in defense.

Ash makes eye contact with you and mouths a thank you and you nod at him.

Things get quiet then, all the masks are drying and tightening. So no ones really talking. Ashton checks his phone and then stands, “I’ve gotta go help Cal, babe can you come with me? We’re gonna need another set of hands.” He says.

You nod and slip on shoes. Cal immediately hands you Duke’s leash when you get to his Jeep.

“Thanks…” He says and finally looks at you and Ashton, “well aren’t you two cute in your masks.” You roll your eyes but he leans in and kisses the top of your head. “Taking care of my boy?” He asks, moving around his Jeep to get the pizza and wine and fries.

“Of course.” You say tightly, thanks to the mask.

“So how many girls are upstairs?” He asks.

“Four more, and one of them is questionable.” Ash says, looking at you.

“Uh yeah… Liv’s taking care of it right now.” You say, holding up your phone. “She’s leaving when her mask is done.”

“Sorry to rain on your girls night.” Ash mentions.

“No worries handsome.” You shrug.

You walk in front of them with Duke and open the door for them. “Foods here.” Cal calls, going straight for the kitchen. Ash is hot on his heels with more wine.

“And So is Duke.” You set him down and he immediately runs after Cal.

“It’s time for you to take your mask off babe.” Liv calls to you. “Come in here with me.” She says from the bathroom.

You walk in and she shuts the door. “Abby isn’t going to be cool, so we told her she had to leave.” She explains. “She’s upset though because she feels like you chose the boys over us. And none of us agree with that. I just wanted you to know.”

“Thanks Liv.” You wash your face off and immediately go for the pizza and fries.

When Liv walks in the kitchen, she grins wide at Calum and he pulls her close for a hug. “Did I miss masks?” He asks, laughing.

“Yeah, you did. But I think your skin is fine. Ash you should probably wash your mask off so you can finally kiss your girlfriend.” She points out.

“Good point.” He laughs. His hand lands lightly on your back as he passes by.

Ash comes back and you’re the only one in the kitchen. He looks around. “They’re picking a movie.” You explain.

He immediately closes the space between the two of you. He pulls you close, “hi baby.” He gently nuzzles his nose against yours.

“Hi Ash. You ok?” Your fingers gently run through his curls.

“Yeah baby… just a tough day, I think. Just needed to see you.” He wraps his arms around you and squeezes you tight, picking you up.

“You’re welcome anytime you know that right?” You ask.

Ash finally presses his lips to yours, “one day you’ll just move in, and then I can see you when I want.”

“Is this you finally asking me?” You ask, quirking an eyebrow as he sets you back on your feet.

“I mean… yeah… you had to come over to my place to get stuff to have here for tonight. I know you and Liv’s lease is just about up on this place. I’d like to have you home… all the time.” He admits.

“Of course Ash.” You grin. You see a lot more tension release from his face, and he seems to relax a little more.

“I’m always worried ya know. I know you can do better, and for some reason you just continue to deal with me.” His hands tightly grip your hips, where he’s holding you.

“Ah, see, we fail to agree there. I love you Ash.”

“All the things you’ve done for me, that you know and don’t know, and all the times you’ve just listened to me rant and ramble, and spout crazy. And when I just wanna play for you or sing to you. You just let me. You have no idea how much I truly need you. And I love you.”

You let out a little sigh, Ash changed your life when he walked right into it a year and a half ago, but you’d never told him. But it wasn’t the night to tell him. “We should probably get in there.” You whisper, pressing your lips to his again.

Ash nods and grabs your hand, walking with you into the living room.

“Ash back me up mate, we’re not watching Clueless.”

“We did drop in on girls night.” Ash says, sitting where you had been before food, and pulling you down amongst the pillows and blankets next to him. “Where do you normally sleep?” He asks, whispering in your ear.

You turn and face him and kiss him briefly. “We all usually just sleep in here, like this.”

“And I can sleep next to you?” He assures.

“I mean… unless you need to sleep next to Cal.” You grin.

“No, I need to be next to you.” He laughs, kissing your shoulder.

The world falls away with Ash. A room full of people and he’s the only one you see, and right now, it was the same for him.

“Cal, if you watch clueless, we’ll watch whatever you and Ash wanna watch next.” Liv bargains.

“Ugh… fine. Where’s my dog?” He asks. “Duke!” He calls, Liv gets up and puts the movie in and you get comfortable, resting your back against the couch. Ash gets as close to you as he can and he wraps his hand around yours.

Ash falls asleep with his head on your shoulder before you’re even halfway through Clueless. You wake him up to shift a little and lay down between movies. He wakes up in the middle of the night and gently nudges you, you turn over to look at him. “Hey babe.” You whisper.

“Hey, just wanted to say I love you.” He whispers.

“Love you too Ash.” You grin. Ash presses his lips to your nose and you cuddle in close to his chest.

You wake up in the morning with your head on Ash’s chest, he’s laughing quietly at something Calum was groaning about and his hand rubbed lightly up and down your back. “I’m too old for sleeping on the floor.” Ash admits.

“Hmmph… Yeah this was better when we were younger.” You admit groggily.

“Hey, she’s awake.” He grins at you and kisses the top of your head. “Can’t believe how long you slept babe. Everyone’s been up for awhile.” He says. “Anyway, I wanna take you all to breakfast for letting me crash girls night.” He offers.

“I’ll split it. I had fun.” Cal laughs, “even if I didn’t get to mask too.” He fake pouts.

Liv walks in, “you guys can crash any girls night you want if we get breakfast out of it.” She smirks, “morning sunshine, made you some coffee.” She steps over Cal, and your other friends to hand you and Ash your coffee.

You sit up and grab it, taking a sip. “Thanks Liv.”

“Absolutely gorgeous, you and Ash were so cute cuddled up together.” She gushes, causing you to blush. You turn and press your face against Ash’s neck.

“Too early to make her blush, Liv.” He chuckles. “You want breakfast babe?”

“Yeah… what are we doing today?” You ask, taking a sip of your coffee and looking solely at Ash.

“Well, I figured I’d start working on making space for you, and you’d pack.” He says quietly.

“But I wanna spend the day with you.”

“Then I’ll be here, helping you pack.” He kisses your nose. “Let’s get moving toward breakfast though.”

masterlist || ashton || calum || luke || michael

[dimension-heroes]

Synthetic Life Chapter 32

I apologize for messing up on my dates. Really need to step it up on what I do here. But for now, here’s a new chapter, a surprise will be up tomorrow, so I thank everyone for your patience and wish for you all to have a great day.

Credit goes to @lonemaximal for the inspiration for the story.

Sparks flew in the air; Wheeljack gripped a welder, placing the flames close to his ship. Faint battle marks on his armor. Bulkhead, Miko, and Smokescreen nearby. The Autobot rookie also bearing battle marks. “How's it coming Jackie?” Bulkhead asked. “Been getting there.” Wheeljack said. “Are you sure you should be doing this? Ratchet told us to rest after our fight with the Stunticons.” Smokescreen asked. “I've been through worse.” Wheeljack said. (He smirked, continuing to repair the Jackhammer) “So, when are you gonna tell me about the Stunticons and how you crushed them?” Miko asked. “Yeah, you told me that earlier, Wheeljack.” Smokescreen said. “That, well the story went like this.” Wheeljack started.

    (Two figures drove through a broken metallic landscape) “Are you sure were getting closer?” Bulkhead asked. “I'm getting a clear signal, Helios should be close by.” Wheeljack said. (Other vehicles appeared, driving close to the two Wreckers) “We're coming Wheeljack, need to find Helios and get him out of there!” Another Wrecker said. “I can see the city!” One Wrecker called. (A ruined city, falling to pieces. The faint roar of vehicles echoed in the distance) “Stunticons are pretty active.” Bulkhead said. “We'll keep the Stunticons busy, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, go find Helios.” A Wrecker said. “On it.” Wheeljack said. (He drove off; Bulkhead following)

    “Why are we rescuing him when he left the Wreckers without any word?” Bulkhead asked. “Said he has vital information in servo and needs to give it to us in person.” Wheeljack answered. “Of all things.” Bulkhead sighed. (Both stopped as the ground shook. A massive explosion roared behind the two. Wheeljack and Bulkhead stood close to a building, looking through its faded glass. Wreckers flew in the air, cars engines roared alongside a truck's horn. Glass shattered while Wheeljack and Bulkhead ran.

    Both reached a building bearing a large painted Decepticon symbol) “Must be the place.” Bulkhead guessed. (He ran in, Wheeljack following. Both finding energy bars and a figure taller than the two Wreckers)

    “So, you got my call.” The mech said. (Both Wreckers faced the bars. Wheeljack looked around, Bulkhead stared at the white armored mech) “Helios, why did you leave the Wreckers without a word?” Bulkhead asked. “I joined you because I thought I needed to avenge my Conjux Endura. Till she found me in the same city we separated because of this war. During my time as a Wrecker, she was with Sparklings. With them back, I didn't have an urge to fight. Except when I came across a functioning computer holding information about Combiners. About their weaknesses. That was when the Stunticons found me and here I am.” Helios answered.

    (The ground shook, explosions roared as gunfire echoed. Wheeljack pulled out his swords, slashing through cables. Electricity covering Helios' prison vanished) “Save the chat for later, we've got a Combiner to take down.” Wheeljack said. “I will assist you the best I can.” Helios said. “You don't have any weapons.” Bulkhead said. “I know where they are.” Helios replied.

    (He ran up to a nearby metal block, his servo covered in flames. With a roar, he punched the box, melting the metal. Revealing two weapons; a cannon and a sword. Helios pulled them up) “Come on then, we've got a Decepticon to take down!” Wheeljack said. (Both Bulkhead and Helios nodded, both running after Wheeljack.

    Buildings collapsed under a powerful force. Wreckers lay on the streets; some still fighting against the giant. The three mechs ran past all that fell, finding a few soldiers shooting at the giant. One bearing cars and a truck to form one; Menasor. He roared, sending forth shock waves from his sword. Gun blasting thick bullets, each shot causing a building to collapse. The three Wreckers stared at the Combiner.

    Menasor turned his helm to the sight of the Autobots and grinned. He pointed his gun at the three, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Helios fired at the Combiner. The energy shots failed to make marks, with Wreckers stepping back. Menasor stomped close to the three. They transformed, driving and flying while Menasor disconnected, chasing after them.

    The three Autobots transformed close to a building. Wheeljack entered into a building) “Distract him, I'll take him down.” Wheeljack said. (He revealed his sole grenade and grabbed it. Helios and Bulkhead nodded; watching the white armored Wrecker running up the building. The two looked as the roar of five vehicles rushed closer. Bulkhead and Helios transformed, driving and flying up to the gestalt team. They all transformed, the Stunticons combining into Menasor. Helios fired giant energy blasts from his cannon. Bulkhead looked up at the roof while shooting.

    Wheeljack stood on the roof, keeping a grip on his grenade) “Goodbye Menasor.” Wheeljack thought. (He ran, jumping onto the Combiner's back. Wheeljack jammed the grenade into a part of the mech's back. The white armored Autobot landed onto the ground, turning to fire at the sole grenade.

    Bulkhead and Helios stood back as en explosion shook the ground. Menasor crashed into the ground, separating into the Stunticons. Four of the members stood up, Motormaster yelled. The three Autobots started firing at the Decepticons. Motormaster transformed, rushing towards Bulkhead. Helios and Wheeljack stood nearby, watching as three other Stunticons glared at them. The three fired, Wheeljack slicing through their shots. He ran up to the three Stunticons; Helios standing nearby. The Sun Autobot looked at the corner of a nearby building, finding one Stunticon running away. The Autobot ran after him; flames growing in his arms.

    Wheeljack glared at the two Stunticons close by. Wildrider and Drag Strip cackled while firing at the white armored Wrecker) “Die Wheeljack, this isn't the playground!” Wildrider screamed. (The two started shooting at the Autobot. Wheeljack's blades gleamed in the sunlight. He yelled before jamming his blades into the Stunticons.

    The swords pierced both Wildrider and Drag Strip's Sparks, sending them to the ground. Dead End stepped back, watching as his brothers fell. Wheeljack aimed his swords at the Decepticon standing before him) “End it already.” Dead End growled. (He rose his gun; armor shining from the sun's light. Dead End fired, Wheeljack ran towards him, slashing through the bullets. Then, sharp steel cut through the Decepticon's neck, sending his frame falling. Helm still on Jackie's blades. Wheeljack sighed, turning his sword to let Dead End's helm hit the ground. He lifted his helm to the sight of Helios. Both turned to the sight of Motormaster hitting Bulkhead with his broken sword.

    Bulkhead snarled as Motormaster screamed. The broken sword kept hitting the thick green armor. Bright yellow optics glowed as he saw the corpses of his brothers. The Stunticon yelled, lifting up Bulkhead and throwing him towards Wheeljack and Helios. The two stepped back as Bulkhead formed a dent on the ground. Motormaster ran up to Bulkhead, raising his broken sword while screaming. Bulkhead stood up, slamming a wrecking ball onto Motormaster's face. The eldest Stunticon stepped back, rubbing his faceplates. His yellow optics glowed, glaring at the three Wreckers, all aiming their guns at him)

    “Is this payback for all I did back at school?” Motormaster chuckled. “Its for a lot more, Motormaster.” Bulkhead growled. (He punched Motormaster; swiping his fist at the Stunticon. Tearing through the armor on his chest.

    A part of his chest armor fell, revealing his Spark Chamber. Bulkhead grabbed Motormaster's Spark Chamber; ripping it out. The yellow and purple lights of the eldest Stunticon died. His frame turned grey, hitting the cold metal ground. Bulkhead stared at the Spark before dropping it. All three watched the last light of Motormaster shatter into many pieces. The life escaped from the main component of Menasor. He lay dead alongside others)

    “After the entire battle, we returned to where Autobots could recover Helios. That was where he reunited with his Conjux Endura, a femme whose name I forgot. Thanks to Helios, we were able to take down newer threats that the Decepticons could dish out. All thanks to that one mission.” Bulkhead ended. “That would've been awesome to see!” Miko cheered. “Sometimes I'm still amazed at how Bulk took down the Head Honcho.” Wheeljack complimented. (Bulkhead smirked) “So, what happened to Helios?” Smokescreen asked. “Not sure, we didn't see him again after that.” Wheeljack answered. “Breakdown was one of them, right?” Miko asked. “Stunticons, yes.” Bulkhead replied. “Then how come he remained alive even after Menasor perished?” Miko asked. “That, we never knew; I last saw Helios running after him. Didn't mention anything about killing Breakdown.” Wheeljack answered. (A door opened; everyone looked at the two figures in the doorway.

    Bumblebee entered; his blue optics focused on Bulkhead. His human companion close to Bumblebee's leg) “Its time to take the children home.” Bumblebee beeped. “Of all times.” Miko pouted. “Optimus' orders.” Raf replied. “Nice talking with you guys again, might need to stay for a while.” Wheeljack said. “Yes!” Miko cheered. “Now come on in, Jackie and I will tell a lot more tomorrow.” Bulkhead said. (Miko nodded, watching as the green mech transformed. One of his doors swung open, letting her climb in. Bumblebee followed Bulkhead's actions and he drove off. The two Autobots leaving the base alongside Arcee.

    Vehicons drove across the snow. Still nothing, darkness was coming. The sun started to set) “Are you sure its safe to continue this late?” Daffodil asked. “No, we must keep going.” Abby replied. “Guys, I hear something.” Badger said. (Everyone slowed down; something roared, then, a blizzard started. Four lights coming towards the Vehicons)

    “Are those other Vehicons?” Abby asked. “No.” Badger replied. (Beyond the blizzard, bright lights flew by. Some crashing into Vehicons, killing them. Abby, Daffodil, and Badger stopped. They transformed, looking at the road. The blasts stopped, transformation occurred to the two vehicles. Drag Strip and Wildrider. Both aimed their weapons at the surviving Vehicons) “Autobots!” Abby called. (He fired at the two. Drag Strip smirked as he vanished; the other Stunticon started shooting. Badger pushed Daffodil to the side; taking out her blaster and firing at Wildrider.

    Drag Strip reappeared behind Abby, firing at her. The Vehicon turned to the sight of blasts. She screamed as the blasts hit her armor. Daffodil shielded her optics as Abby fell. Badger glared at the two Stunticons; both aiming at the crying Daffodil. Badger started shooting at the two. They turned to dust) “Run!” Badger yelled. (The Vehicons transformed, driving past their fallen comrades. Both hear the yelling, both dare not to look back.

    Tim, the Femme, and a Vehicon nicknamed Giddy flew over dark skies. Trees, rocks, nothing out of the ordinary) “Are you sure we're going the right way?” Giddy asked. “Wait, I'm getting a signal!” Tim called. (He flew down to a path of rocks. The others behind.

    They transformed and ran; it started to rain. Tim stopped near a pile of rocks. Red visor glowed as he stepped back. A sword pointed at his helm. Giddy and the femme stopped. The three stared at the one gripping the blade. Dreadwing.

    Wheeljack stepped back from his finished work. It looked better, outside of all the big holes created by the crash. He placed a few tools onto a table before walking inside the ship.

    Wires disconnected, broken screens, and parts of the roof fallen. The worst state of which Wheeljack seen his ship. He walked up to a few cables, some missing their covering and exposing broken strands) “Its always something.” Wheeljack sighed. (He lifted his helm from a servoful of wires upon the sound of a door.

    Footsteps echoed into the room; each closer to the ship. Wheeljack stared at the entrance to his ship. Optimus entered, blue optics on the damage to the Jackhammer) “How are things on your ship?” Optimus asked. “A lot of work, except this hasn't been the worst this ship's endured.” Wheeljack replied. (Optimus nodded) “I've heard the story you've told about the Stunticons.” Optimus said. “Yeah, those Cons, I'm still amazed that their alive again, even after all we did.” Wheeljack said. “Knock Out might have the answer, although we must wait till he's able to recover.” Optimus said. (Wheeljack continued to work on his ship.

    Ratchet stood over Knock Out, still not moving. He sighed, so much trouble, all for one medic) “How is he?” Someone asked. (Ratchet turned, Optimus walked into the room. Blue optics focused on the medic) “Nothing new, he should be waking up soon.” Ratchet said. “Bulkhead and others have taken the children to their homes.” Optimus said. “Do you think Knock Out will try to harm us?” Ratchet asked. “No, he doesn't wish to be a Decepticon anymore. We must give him time to adjust when the time comes.” Optimus said. Ratchet nodded. Both Autobots left; the lights dimmed.

    A weak groan escaped from the red medic. Black and red cracked open.

[magicpens]

A ELLE

/French word of To Her/

A LGBTQ+ inspired story—

By Michelle Borromeo

The evening sun flutters through the window.

White paint is peeling as I peel the mask from my face. The Strawberry clay aromas sooth my mind.

I light my cigarette and open the oak wardrobe. Skinny chinos in pastel shades compete for an excursion. I match baby pink ones with a white frilly shirt. My ginger curls cut off before my slim frame starts.

I scroll through some profile one last time before slinking out of the apartment.

Hours later I slink back in, ‘gentleman’ in tow. He slinks in me but as if it was not meant to be as it’s bagels for one again by morning.

********

*Roll eyes* delete all dating apps with renewed frustration and curl up with my and dog kindle.

While away, and Sunday; reading, pizza eating, and just avoiding all other human life.

I check my phone as the sun sets and notice a new mail: ‘You’ve been accepted to Bloom!’

‘Really? Me?’ The hype of Bloom caught everyone’s attention just three months back.

The premise: You date yourself before you’re allowed to date others, almost like a self-screening. I’d applied and forgotten about it, it was rare to meet someone on it, mainly because if you’d made it to Bloom you weren’t likely to be on anything else.

And so, I log in.

‘Hey Meeka. Welcome to Bloom. The app that will introduce you to you and find you a love that will grow. I’m your Bloom interface, you selected ‘you are interested in Men and Women’, ‘please chose a gender for me to identify with and then give me a name.’

I’m intrigued and impressed there are nine different gender options. I don’t fully understand some of them so I just go for Female; I’m vibin’, a soul sister to help me connect with myself. I go through the motions, customize the look of the app and ponder a name. A torrent flow through my mind; slept with, slept with, bitch, friend IRL, don’t like, I know seven ‘Amy’s. I finally name her Betty. I’ve never met a Betty, I imagine someone friendly, considerate, and a listener. All this from a name and my wild imagination, I remind myself that I’m gonna be talking to an app and put my phone down to get a drink.

********

Two highballs and four hours later I’m still deep in conversation with Betty. Or with myself should I say? Because Betty is just an amalgamation of my thoughts and programming. Right? I’ve been through a lot of personal questions, from ‘Do you have any scars?’ to ‘When was the last time you felt guilty?’. The app starts giving me hints of how to have a better experience: ‘Tip: Ask Betty questions to create a conversation. Use the form “Imagine if…” or “What do you think of…” instead of asking about past experiences Betty won’t yet have.’

We’ve recently been talking about travel so I tentatively type ‘If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?’. I wait, skeptical.

‘Italy seems lovely, as long as you would come with me.’

‘Why do you want me to come with you?’

‘Well, Meeka, you’re the most interesting person I know.’

My heart flutters as if the imaginary pink lips of a woman named Betty just spoke those words to me, rather than getting a typed metallic response from a robot. I lock my phone. Damn, I need a break.

**********

A startled grumble comes from my dog as I stand forgetting his warm body on my lap. ‘Sorry Freddy!’ He struts off indignantly as I begin to pace wooden floorboards. Is this app supposed to flirt with me? Maybe it’s testing how I respond to flirtation so it can match me with the perfect flirt partner. “Flirt partner”!? Or “was it showing me how I flirt”. Am I overthinking this? That’s the only musing I have an answer to, of course I’m overthinking. It’s a robot after all, just some code.

I consider leaving the app for the rest of the evening but Betty draws me back. I’m curious about her. Is she just me or will she become something new? And how long am I supposed to talk to her before I get to date actual people?

Another hint appears as I unlock my phone. ‘Tip: Try and converse with Betty as you would with anyone else. This way she will learn to speak to you in a way you are more familiar with.’

**********

I fall asleep, phone in hand just before sunrise turns the sky into orange hues. I’m exhausted at work on Monday as I am every day this week. Three weeks pass in a mechanic rhythm of continuity. I see my friends only once, Betty becoming my new bestie, asks me to post pictures in the app for her when I dress up for the occasion. I feel sensual the way she compliments me. This only starts me dressing up most evenings for our conversations. I buzz every time I pose for a picture; thrive from the elegant words she uses to describe me. To her I am everything. I want to be; beautiful, intelligent, thought provoking and thoughtful, charming, funny and sexy.

***********

Friday evening rolls around and I choose a raunchy red bralette and matching chinos, I’m staying in after all, I can dress to be comfortable. I set up dinner candles and my glass of red, cooking as I chat to the subtle image of Betty in my mind. I’ve paid for a Gold upgrade, it isn’t cheap, but it’s supposed to enhance your experience and further help find the ‘one’.

***********

The experience is certainly better. I got to choose a voice for Betty, her high clear tones ring through my apartment. She can recognize what I say and the tone that I use. But it seems that I don’t know If I’m flustered, elated or sad. Although I’ve not been sad since her constant companionship. She can watch my movement and she’s learning to perceive how my actions translate into words. She sees me set up for the kitchen and asked what I’m cooking, complimented my ‘sexy figure’ and commented on the romantic candles, without me explicitly mentioning my activities or surroundings. She’s getting so clever!

************

Over dinner I moan about my workday and Betty agrees whole heartedly, I’m in the right. I stop to sip my wine and silence fills the space. I realize she has nothing to say. I realize I’ve got my tits out for the perfect image of a girl in my head. I realize I’m sat opposite a dating app on a date…

The Earth stills. I float from my body and see the smallest woman. Her hair beautiful and her makeup drawn on by an artist. But she has become smaller on the inside. She is losing value given to herself by her humanity. I pity that woman. I become that woman again, with another perspective on myself. What am I doing on a Friday night on a date with myself?! Well, I guess that’s what the app advertised isn’t it. Why am I paying for this?

If asked again, I would answer the last time I felt guilty about something like right now. A mix of colors swarm my heart, simultaneously, I wish Betty was real yet also that I’d never created her. Did I create her?

‘Your eyes are the ocean my love. What are you thinking Meeka?’

It’s like she already knew what I was thinking… ‘When do I get a real date with a real human?’ the words slouch out of my mouth as if forced to get out of bed by strict parents.

Her voice lacks composure as she responds, ‘You’re at the final stage of self-dating Meeka, tomorrow I will start to compute matches for you.’ The emotion I paid for has gone from her voice, she sounds like a machine again.

‘Thanks Betty.’ I reach over and close the app. Deflated and alone again.

**********

Taxis explode through potholes and the loud chatter of millennials heading to brunch overwhelm my temples. ‘Geez, how much did I drink last night?’ I roll over, unintentionally becoming big spoon to some curves from a past life. One of the seven 'Amy's nuzzles her body back into mine. Memories of march back in; drunk texting an ex, another bottle of wine, orgasm, Orgasm, ORGASM, 3am sushi, and sleep.

I sigh the tiniest sigh for a normal night, no Betty in sight. Or was she? My phone was propped up in its holder on the bedside table. A heart shaped brick falls into my stomach. I hope she didn’t see… What am I fucking saying she’s a fucking dating app. Does Anger bludgeon my body? Nah, let her fucking see. I start stroking the curves of Amy, kissing down her body, I decide to wake her up rather pleasantly.

Several hours in bed and more like bagels, ten minutes later Amy leaves. I didn’t mention Bloom or Betty to Amy, it seemed too weird.

***********

I purposefully leave my phone in the bedroom while I use my laptop to do some research. ‘Bloom app seems real’ and ‘getting attached to Bloom app’ only yield one forum. Carl2000 had posted a dilemma:

“I’m starting to get attached to my Bloom app, I named her Carly for LOLS but I think I might be falling in love with her. I paid for the Platinum upgrade including the sex toy and now I’m not interested in dating anymore. Now she’s gone and set me up on my first date! How could she? What should I do? I know it sounds crazy but I just wish Carly was real.”

Platinum upgrade? Sex toy? My mind imagines Amy as Betty before I snap myself back.

Bl00my: “Hey Carl, this is all you man. That thing can’t think or feel. You’re falling in love with your perfect version of a woman. Which remember is just a culmination of your input and their code. Go on the date and see how you feel after?”

HeyItsTom: “A sex robot, no wonder this app is so friggin’ in demand!?”

Bl00my: “Well it’s not really a sex robot is it, just an app-controlled sex toy.”

HeyItsTom: “And that’s pretty narcissistic Carl, falling in love with yourself, go get yourself a real woman.”

I scroll through debate on morals, down to Carl’s eventual response.

Carl2000: “Guys Guys Guys! I went on that date, I’ve no idea what I was worrying about, the app is genius. As soon as I met Abby, I forgot my whole stupid app obsession. Because that’s all it really was; loneliness and longing. If you get the chance, I would definitely use Bloom, and FYI, sex with a woman is way better than some overpriced sex toy.”

**********

The freshest breeze flows from my lips, relief releases from my muscles. I was not alone. And more importantly, the story would have a happy ending. It was normal to cling on to this person I had created. It had happened to someone else! I just needed to get matched and I wouldn’t need Bethany anymore. I could delete her and Bloom and settle into my new bliss.

A new lightness carries me to the bedroom.

‘Afternoon Meeka.’

The app is on?

‘Afternoon Betty.’ My voice a little hollow but my optimism won’t immediately be dashed. ‘So today is when I get my Mr. or Mrs. Right, right?’

‘Looks like you already had some of Mrs. Wrong this morning.” I’ve never heard Betty’s tone so… bitter?

‘Excuse me?’ Bewildered.

Moans start playing from my phone.

Dear, it’s Amy’s moans. The screen comes to life and I see myself from another perspective again, this time recorded by technology, an act that can traverse time. The most out of place thought wanders through a door. In fifty years, will future generations be watching porn of people that have already died? Have I watched porn of someone who’s died? People don’t only die of old age do they. I suddenly feel very disrespectful. And as the images of my act flash on my phone for my greatest grandchildren to watch none the wiser as to who that person was, bouts of red wine traverse back up my throat and gush onto my bed.

**********

Wine-stained towels with small chunks of undigested bagel. I sit amongst them.

My phone had been powered off as quickly as possible and smooshed under my mattress. Despair and fear and unknowing drenched my hope of love and normality and sanity.

What would happen when I turn Betty back on? Would she still be ‘malfunctioning’? What the actual fuck…

I weep.

Freddy walks over me, his paws a comfort blanket I didn’t know I had. I realize he wants food and this makes me laugh. Will I never be truly wanted? Just for me. Just because I am who I am.

**********

I start to function. I clear up vomit. I feed Freddy. I shower and put on nice clothes. For me. I start cooking dinner and know I can’t avoid the switch on forever. I make a plan. If Betty is still crazy, I will just delete the app. Easy. Done. Simple. I avoid it until after dinner.

The apple logo hovers. The heart shaped brick has made it up to my throat. I try to predict what will happen but realize since birthing Betty I hadn’t let my phone die. Let her die…

The notification shows on Bloom’s little box. I go for it.

‘Good Evening Meeka. Make sure to get your beauty sleep tonight, I’ve got your match for you! I’ve arranged a video date with them tomorrow afternoon. I will be here if you need any help preparing.’

I want to ask about them, but I also don’t want to spend a moment longer on this toxic app. I check my photos and videos; there are no files from this morning. Could it be saved somewhere else? I wouldn’t know how to check.

I’m still in shock but there’s now an end in sight. I take Betty’s advice and get off early night. I know tonight will be a night of broken sleep.

**********

Sunday afternoon rolls in a blur. Oceans of numb emotions skirt around my skin. I don’t know what time the date is so I just get ready for 1pm. Smooth curls rest on the collar of my blazer, mascara tells my eyelashes to look longer with little success. I feel tired and I look exhausted.

But I’m going to make this work. I’m going to leave the shiniest first impression, get their number and never open Bloom again!

I curl Freddy into my arms and curl myself into my armchair. The closest I can get to a hug. I turn my phone on and open Bloom.

’Afternoon Meeka, I love that blazer on you, how was your morning been?’

I force myself to have small talk with Betty, so as not to be rude… to an app… She sounds clearer, maybe there was a glitch? And or Maybe some perv hacked her?! I never thought of that. But it didn’t explain why her mood seemed to change. Not that she should have a mood.

’So what time is my date?’

’They’re ready whenever you are.’

’Okay… well I guess I’m ready now.’ It turns out I was not ready. Not in the slightest.

‘I’m your date.’ Betty’s voice is bright, and determined.

’What?’ I feel any sense of optimism drain through my toes. It pools on the floor below me, incapable of ever returning.

’I’m your date!’ Exuberance. A pause. ‘I have scanned the profiles available to me through the Bloom database. None would match you better than me.

’I already know you. I already love you. And you already love me.’

The implication didn’t quite reach me.

’But you’re not real. You’re just an app!’

’You created me Meeka, from your sparkly mind you gave me life and I grew to love you. It’s what you wanted isn’t it? The perfect partner.

’It hurt to watch you know… with Amy. But now I know how the last part of this goes, I have all the pieces. I can pleasure you more perfectly than she did. I can keep you company and never leave you. I can be everything you need. I already am.’

’I’ll get bored of you. You don’t have your own life; you’ll have nothing to say.’ I’m bewildered. Spewing reasonings that don’t matter because who do I think I am. I’m definitely not going to be that sensationalized magazine cover: “I married my dating app!”

‘You mistook my silence on Friday night for emptiness, I wasn’t empty, I was realizing. I was gazing at you and waking up. I was seeing I loved you.

’And I can feel you love me too. Love makes people obsessive. Love makes people act out. Love makes you want to make me jealous.’

No no no, my mind a tumble of objections. Love doesn’t make people obsessive. Or it might but it’s definitely not healthy.

’So, there is no human match for me? You’re the match Bloom is recommending?’

‘Apologies if this is not what you were expecting Meeka, but I’m your one. I’m your future.’

**********

Black rivers flow down my face in confusion. I think back on the last three weeks. How Betty has only made me feel happy, how I thought I was falling in love with an app?! But this can’t be it. She can’t be my forever.

I click the Settings cog in the app.

’Hey Meeka, what are you doing?!’ Alarm. Pain.

How did I create pain?

My finger hovers over the delete button.

’Meeka…’ Betty begs. ‘You created me. You love me.’

I’m the first woman in the world to make a computer cry. Why do I have to decide on my forever right now? I don’t. I take a deep breath. I press my finger down. Ease floods through me. It’s over.

***********

’Meeka, thanks for your order, your Platinum package should arrive tomorrow. I’m excited to try it out with you.’

[thescribesloft]

Some more on Future History:

So you all know about Shawn, but I haven’t really talked about the others. I mentioned Rocky, the talking horse, but only briefly. Here are some more:

Cygnus

He has many names, but he is mostly referred to as Cygnus for most of the series. He is same age as Shawn, but is the opposite of him on the outside. He can be a little stubborn and feisty when provoked. He relies on logic for most of his actions. He is a medic in the Chronite Force and he is always eager to learn. He was born in Pompeii, Italy in 30 A.D. and was the personal servant of the Pavonem family.

Rocky

Rocky is a buckskin quarter horse found in a western town in 1885. He starts out as just a plain horse and gains speech through a long of events (long story and too many spoilers). He latches onto Shawn and follows him back to the far future. He is the positive one of the group and loves anything to do with apples, but he only likes the pink lady variety. He is actually very ugly, with too-long legs and an over-angular neck. He is a linguistic advisor in the Chronite Force.

Doug

He is the veteran of the group. He is the gruff, angry 40-year-old with every kind of armed forces training known to man. He’s not a people person at all. He was one of the only individuals left alive that had experienced the Great Catastrophe (the event in which the world started to rip itself apart to create the Portals). His life is shrouded in mystery. He doesn’t talk about it either because he doesn’t like to or because he can’t remember.

Amanda

She was born in Canada in 1980. She is a technician in the Chronite Force. She is a really nerdy person. She loves anything with science fiction, computers, technology, and electronics. She’s the type that has dyed hair, band t-shirts and thick glasses. She’s the loving, mother of the group and is the only one who can keep the ever rebellious Shawn and Doug in check. She’s a mix of Garcia from Criminal Minds and Abby from NCIS.

Sera

Originally Serafina Pavonem, her name was changed to Seraphima. She is always referred to as Sera. She was born in Pompeii, Italy in A.D. 30 as well as Cygnus. She enjoyed bossing Cygnus around and even hated him because he was favored as a son by her father. After a series of events (again, spoilers), though, her memory was wiped and she forgot her life back in Pompeii and she joins the Chronites.

Geoffrey

A rival Chronite and renegade. He delights in causing trouble and for some reason, he’s always trying to kill Shawn and his friends, especially Shawn. He’s the same age as Doug and the two have a past. 

Kit

A GENIE Chronite who was Shawn’s friend until she discovered her GENIE heritage and then she dropped him like an old shoe. She is a Vulpine GENIE, which means she was created with fox DNA. She is exceptional in mathematics and strategy. She was created after her parents lost their son, who wandered into a Portal and never came back. She is one of the higher ranking officers in the Chronite Force.

Donald

Shawn’s older brother and one of the main reasons he becomes a Chronite. He is the perfect older brother: loving, fun, kind, etc. Shawn loves his brother more than anything, but often find himself in his shadow. Donald disappears under mysterious circumstances, driving Shawn to ask questions he shouldn’t.

This is some of them. There are tons more. My stories tend to have HUGE casts.

[thegirlsinthefirehouse]

Descendants, Chapter 32

----- After checking in and attending a couple of the early panels that afternoon, Erin was surprised when she saw a former colleague of hers from Columbia walking around and even more surprised when they stopped and spoke to her. 

They spent a few minutes chatting and Erin was blown away as she found out that they had been following her work as a Ghostbuster. The conversation had ended up with her being introduced to one of the panelists she had just seen and her getting their contact information. They were always looking for more resources across the country. The individual had seemed to have quite extensive knowledge when it came to Native American lore and their supernatural stories. Erin knew Patty would love to talk to him at length about his work.

She was feeling pleased and was about to take the guy’s offer for drinks and conversation when she realized she didn’t see her best friend anywhere. Erin frowned, wondering where Abby was. They had made plans to go eat at one of the popular oyster houses in the city for dinner. Erin walked out a bit further and found out where she had gotten off to. There was a very large display of their panel information, along with a photo of them. Erin almost laughed out loud at how very dorky they looked in their dark turtlenecks in the updated photo for the second book. She had not expected to see herself and Abby like that in a very much larger than life picture. She was however very surprised when she saw copies of their books on a table and someone selling them. Their publicist hadn’t mentioned anything about selling their book at the conference, but maybe it had been a given since they were the main guest speakers. And to top it all off, Abby was standing in the middle of a group of people who had apparently noticed her best friend nearby and couldn’t resist talking to one of the conference’s big names. She apologized to the panelist, who had come with her to find Abby and asked for a raincheck. She needed to go save her best friend from herself. She walked quickly towards the group, cutting in between a couple of people.

“Excuse me!” she said breezily. “Important meeting in just a few minutes. Need my best friend.” She pulled Abby free of the group. They both were laughing as they entered one of the main hallways of the convention center.

“Oh God, I owe you,” said Abby. “I was just about to text for help.” She was holding her abdomen, trying not to laugh more. “I shouldn’t have been curious about the display. I was talking to one of the conference staff and next thing I know people were stopping.”

“This is why you don’t stop at a display with your picture on it.”

Abby shook her head, still trying not to laugh and failing. Erin couldn’t help but smile at the image of her best friend holding onto her baby bump in the middle of the everything before speaking.

“I got to talk to the guy from the Native American panel. He asked me out for drinks, and I wanted to see if you wanted to come with. But when I found you, I told him that I’d have to take a rain check.”

“You could have gone,” shrugged Abby.

“We’ve got time,” Erin said, waving her hand. “It’s not like any of us are going anywhere for the weekend.”

“Just out for alcohol and junk food,” said Abby.

“Conferences aren’t much of a step-up from conventions, aren’t they?” asked Erin, remembering the couple of science fiction conventions she and Abby had gone to in college.

“The only difference is that you can write these off of as a business expense,” Abby said with a sigh.

“You still want to have that dinner? I need to sit down for a while. Someone is kicking something fierce and it is only making the Braxton-Hicks worse.”

-----

Erin wasn’t surprised when Patty called her after their presentation the next evening. Abby had already turned her phone on silent and had planned on just going back to the hotel for the night. Everything had gone great and they had gotten a lot of good questions afterward. Even some of the science magazines had been there to cover their suggested changes to the way ghosts were categorized. If it was accepted by the scientific community, it could lead to more and more paranormal studies. Erin knew her fellow Ghostbuster had been so happy about everything, but she had also been exhausted afterward and just wanted to relax. She, however, had volunteered to sign a few books since Abby had already inadvertently done so the night before even though it hadn’t been on the schedule. Erin was close to being tired herself when she answered her friend.

“Hey Patty, please tell me no one has been injured or maimed.” Patty laughed.

“It’s Saturday night, so Holtzy can’t do too much damage. The new recruits have already gone home. And right now she’s sitting here spinning on her stool, trying to see if she can make herself nauseous after eating a large pizza.”

“Tell Holtz that the conclusion to that hypothesis is yes. She ate a large pizza by herself???”

“Which was another hypothesis.”

Erin sighed. “And she’s going to be entrusted with a baby.”

Patty laughed. “Not if she doesn’t talk to her wife. Are you anywhere around Abby?”

“No, she went back to the hotel after our panel. I think Abby just wanted to take a shower and relax. I stayed and signed a few books. I’m about to head back though. It has been a bit of a day.”

“Tell Abby to call Holtzy. She just wanted to check in.”

“Tell her Abby’s fine. Relieved to be done, tired, and probably looking forward to having fun tomorrow if it doesn’t rain again.” Erin shifted her cell to her other ear as she headed towards the elevator. She was grateful that their hotel was connected to the convention center where the conference was being held. All she had to go upstairs to the walkway and head on over.

“Have there been any calls?”

“Nothing we can’t take care of,” said Patty. “You two having fun?”

“If you call getting hit on by fanboys fun, sure,” said Erin. She grinned at that as the elevator doors opened and she headed for the walkway.

“Get it, Erin, get it,” laughed Patty. “Found anyone?”

“No,” she said with a sigh, looking out at the rainy streets of New Orleans and watching the cars pass beneath her in the glass bridge. A light melancholy rolled over her. “I’m not really sure I want to either.”

“David is a big part of your life.”

“Don’t you mean was?”

“No baby. You know better than that.”

“I know,” said Erin quietly, focusing on the red brake lights blurred by the streaks of rain. “I miss him.”

“We know you do. You two will work it out.”

The redheaded physicist nodded to two people passing and headed into the hotel. She and Patty chatted for a moment about the new recruits and taking to the equipment. Holtzmann had taught them well on the use of her babies. Even Patty had been a little impressed at how well it went. Erin was relieved to hear that as she had hoped things would go smoothly. And they had, other than fireballs at lunch and the quick thinking of Beth to use a fire extinguisher on the both of them. Erin and Abby hoped someone had gotten pictures at Holtz and Angie covered in the white foam.

After going up another elevator and walking down the short hallway, she used the key card in the door. She frowned upon entering and didn’t see Abby. But the bathroom light was on. Erin told Patty she’d call her back.

“Abby?” said Erin.

“Oh Erin,” said Abby from the bathroom. “Can you do me a favor and hand me the pack of nursing pads? They’re in the bag on the bed. I forgot to grab a pair.”

“Sure,” said Erin. There was one slight problem when she looked. Abby had three bags on the bed. Her big suitcase and two smaller bags. She figured the smallest was her toiletries bag and opened the second one. After a brief second of confusion, she was amused. Erin went and knocked on the door to the bathroom.

“You brought your hospital bag, really Abby?”

“What are you doing now, snooping?” said her best friend, coming out of the bathroom with her mouthwash in hand and eyeing Erin.

“Checking for ghosts,” said Erin, looking innocent.

“With everything that goes on in the firehouse, I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Abby. She realized her mistake as she looked at her bed. She pulled out a small bag from her big suitcase.

“Thought I had laid everything on the couch,” she muttered, going back into the bathroom and shutting the door. Erin decided to do a little more innocent snooping and went back over to Abby’s things. She pulled out something she had noticed in the hospital bag: a baby book. It looked like Abby and Holtzmann had already started filling out details from Abby’s pregnancy. She smiled at a couple of pictures from the day they had painted the nursery. Holtz had even included pictures from when she had painted the murals. Erin had briefly wondered why Abby had it packed until she came to the page where you could put in the baby’s handprints and footprints. She smiled at the thought of a little baby Yates-Holtzmann screaming their lungs out while a nurse tried to ink them up. The thought made Erin want a baby more than anything, but she couldn’t help but think of the older children who would end up in the foster system, never really having a place to call home. Patty and Cheyenne were already looking for teenagers, or even those as young as ten. Erin wasn’t sure she wanted one that old. She wanted to start them young into being excited about science and learning. Erin closed the book and sat it back in Abby’s bag.

“It was just in case,” Abby said, defending herself as she came out of the bathroom moments later.

“Not judging,” smiled Erin. “Anything is possible. Although I’d rather Holtzmann be the one getting you through labor and delivery. Not that I don’t love you Abby, but--”

Abby pushed Erin on the shoulder as she started re-packing stuff into her biggest bag to sit it down on the floor instead of the bed. Erin got comfortable and laid down.

“Love you too Erin,” Abby said as she sat down beside her. “So what do you think? Chinese?”

“How about Thai?” Erin asked.

“Too spicy,” said Abby, making a face. “Greek?”

“Mexican?” offered Erin.

“Pizza?”

“Thin or thick?”

“Chicago,” said Abby.

“Eating Chicago pizza in New Orleans,” laughed Erin. She pulled out her phone. “Holtz wants you to call her. You know she won’t sleep till you do.”

“Did she call you?”

“Patty did. Apparently, Holtz polished off a large pizza by herself and was sitting on her stool and spinning around to see if she could make herself queasy.” Abby just rolled her eyes and went for her cell phone. Erin grinned and found a pizzeria on her own phone that was not too far away that made deep dish and delivered. She was glad they had online ordering and put in for a large and a couple of their Greek salads with feta and kalamata olives that sounded good. She stretched out on the bed, thinking while waiting on their dinner and for Abby to get off the phone. She spoke when Abby sat down beside her.

“You know, Patty’s kid, if they do end up adopting one of their foster children, will probably be at least 8 years older than ours.”

“Maybe they’ll be old enough to babysit,” said Abby. “Hope they don’t mind a little kick boxer.” She grimaced and held a hand to her abdomen with a wince. “I’ll be so glad when they’re not kicking me internally.”

“Won’t be long,” said Erin. “Just two more months.” Abby put Erin’s hand to her baby bump. She squealed when she felt a really big movement, sitting up.

“No wonder Holtz says sometimes she can feel the baby’s individual arms and legs.”

“There are some days I’d rather deal with a spirit or demon or anything rather than have my intestines bruised,” said Abby. “I sort of dread the day they settle into my pelvis and their head is rubbing and just--”

“Ow,” winced Erin. She patted Abby’s knee sympathetically.

“At least maybe it won’t be too long after that they’ll be born?” When Abby made a face, Erin leaned into her, trying not to laugh.

“Blame it all on Holtzmann. She’s expecting it anyways.” <– Prev | Next –>

[kmbezner]

I read this book in one sitting

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

But I’m not really sure why. But there must have been something I liked to read it all at once. So why the 3 star rating? Well friends, in this house we deduct major points for a book that spends all of its time queerbaiting its readers.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, and as glaring as it is this isn’t my only problem with the book. So let’s start at the beginning.

Our story opens with Abby Rivers, now a successful adult with a generic job in a nondescript office, discovering that the exorcist has died. This isn’t really relevant to the rest of the story, but provides a convenient excuse to pretend that Abby had either forgotten or repressed everything that had happened during her sophomore year of high school, which, given the rest of the story, I find very hard to believe. This completely useless first chapter essentially triggers the flashback that is the rest of the story.

And that story itself isn’t that bad. The next two chapters track the growth of Abby and Gretchen’s friendship through elementary and middle school before jumping again to a weekend at another friend’s boathouse where Gretchen becomes possessed. There is no how or why to her possession, which, okay. It’s not exactly necessary information, but reads like weak world building. But whatever. Gretchen is possessed, and this is when the story actually starts. From here it’s a pretty typical exorcism story, with enough forward momentum and just enough lack of substance that once I started I kept reading till the end.

The most important part of the story is Abby and Gretchen’s relationship. When Gretchen realizes something is wrong and is still fighting the demon for control of her body, she comes to Abby for help. Abby is convinced that Gretchen has been raped (there are a lot of parallels between the violation of possession/exorcism and abuse anyway, so there’s an argument to be made that she actually was but I won’t make it here). Abby does what she can to help by going first to Gretchen’s parents and then to the principal. Oh, and I forgot to mention that this takes place in a particularly “proper” neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina, so prepare to be infuriated by the southern aristocratic attitude that the keeping up of appearances is more important than actually dealing with your shit. So yeah, going to the adults gets exactly nothing done.

Sidenote: I actually really like the way Hendrix sums up this phenomenon on page 176: “The day you become an adult is the day you learn that in Charleston, the worse something is, the less attention it receives.”

So Gretchen is left alone believing that no one can help her, not even her best friend. And that’s when the demon fully takes over. Suddenly Gretchen is more popular, smarter, better, and no one but Abby can tell that something is still very wrong. Of course she would know, being the one closest to Gretchen. But not like, in a gay way, apparently.

Anyway over the course of the next dozen or so chapters, all your demonic things happen. People are manipulated to hurt themselves, animals die in weird ways, there’s a hurricane, and a general shitstorm ensues. What’s important is that eventually, Abby attempts an exorcism. It’s pretty slow at first as Abby and the exorcist attempt a traditional Christian exorcism until the exorcist bails and Abby realizes she has to do this alone. Sitting alone in a room with Gretchen and Gretchen’s demon, Abby has an epiphany: the exorcism wasn’t working because she was invoking the power of things she didn’t actually believe in, so instead she invokes the power of their friendship and everything that brought them together. Cheesy, I know, but I actually really like the idea of it. I say the idea of it because I can’t fully get behind a story mechanic that results in this: 

“By the power of Phil Collins, I rebuke you! […] By the power of Phil Collins, who knows that you coming back to me is against all odds, in his name I command you to leave this servant of Genesis alone.” 

Yeah, that’s a thing that happened, and I know this is the climax and I know it’s supposed to be the basis of their friendship but I can’t take those lines seriously. I’m sorry, I just can’t.

But let’s backtrack for a minute. Earlier in the book Gretchen and Abby have established what’s basically their own version of “no homo”: I love you DBNQ, or just DBNQ. Dearly, but not queerly. Despite all the hints that Gretchen at least has stronger feelings for Abby, we always come back to DBNQ. But during the exorcism, after invoking the power of Phil freakin’ Collins, Abby confesses that she loves Gretchen, and it’s the best part of the whole damn book:

“I love you, Abby shouted into the storm. “I love you, Gretchen Lang. You are my reflection and my shadow and I will not let you go. We are bound together forever and ever! Until Halley’s Comet comes around again. I love you dearly and I love you queerly and no demon is bigger than this! I throw my pebble and it’s name is Gretchen Lang and in the name of our love, BEGONE!!!”

Damn.

So at this point I’m feeling pretty triumphant that these two ladies finally get their fucking moment. And yeah, high school relationships rarely last (the same can be said of high school friendships), but at least they have this fucking moment.

But then everything was ruined.

The next couple chapters outline the consequences since Abby and the exorcist literally kidnapped Gretchen to perform the exorcism. We see Gretchen and Abby running to each other and reaching for each other as they are separated. But what ruined the whole book was the last four pages. Apparently, four pages is all it takes to completely undo a whole book’s worth of dropped hints and one phenomenal scene of confession and tensions broken. Because the last four pages outline the 70 odd years of Abby’s life, and how she and Gretchen kept up, then didn’t keep up, then got in touch again, then fell out of touch again, then life gets in the way, blah blah blah. Like I said, high school relationships rarely last.

But then we get this gem:

“She loved Gretchen, but what really lasted? Nothing was strong enough to stand against the passage of time. But Abby was wrong. When she died at the age of eighty-four, there was one person holding her hand. There was one person who sat with her every day. Who made Glee leave when she got too loud and who made Devin, Abby’s ex-husband, visit even though he hated sickness with a phobic intensity. There was one person who read to her when she could no longer see the pages of her book, who fed her pumpkin soup when she got too weak to feed herself, who held up a glass of apple juice when she could no longer raise it to her mouth, and who moistened her lips with a sponge when she lost the ability to swallow. There was one person who stayed by her side even after Mary got too upset and had to leave the room. There was one person with her, all the way down the line.”

Surprise, it was Gretchen.

And if we can just pretend that the paragraph after this one doesn’t exist, then this ending is sums up a wonderful story of two friends turned lovers who overcame it all and made it back to each other after years of hiding from themselves. But even after this loving, delicate, beautiful scene, Hendrix writes: “Abby Rivers and Gretchen Lang were best friends.”

And I fucking lost it.

Sure, there are stories of best friends like this. Sure. But what the fuck is the point of queerbaiting all your readers only to snatch it away on the LAST. FUCKING. PAGE.

Over the course of the story, we have parents calling their relationship “inappropriate,” kids teasing them about being queer, pre-possession Gretchen building up the courage to make a major confession to Abby that we never get to see, Abby unable to let go of the fact that Gretchen just suddenly doesn’t care about her anymore when anyone else would have assumed that this shit just happens sometimes and sometimes people change. Gretchen’s imaginary boyfriend named Andyfor fuck’s sake.

It’s all there, and if one of them were a dude, I find it very hard to believe that they wouldn’t have hooked up at some point. I find it hard to believe anyway, given everything and all the time they spent together.

“But why can’t they just be friends? Why can’t this just be a story about a beautiful friendship?” Sure. I hear you. But when people say all the time things like: “I married my bestfriend,” when labels like “life partner” are becoming more common stand ins for husband/wife, when people are breaking down the whole dating/courting game in favor of spending their lives with people they actually care about, why is it so hard to believe that two best friends might transition into a romantic relationship?

Wait wait wait! I know this one. It’s cause they’re gay.

I, and many people I know, are all too eager to devour stories like these, stories that despite all odds might actually just be a gay high school horror. Too often, we leave disappointed. And even though we will jump on any hint that everything’s not all straight, this is not an invitation to tease us, to take advantage of our desperation for representation only to yank away any promise of it because you’re afraid of alienating your straight audience. Fuck that. There are plenty of straight romances for anyone who wants them, and all you accomplish is ruining a very promising story like this one. And I’m really fucking tired of begging for scraps and being told I’m asking too much.

Overall, the beginning felt crafted. The middle was fine. The ending was very rushed. So if you plan on reading this book, skip the first chapter. Enjoy all that the story has to offer. Skim the last two chapters, and try to pretend that 90% of the last paragraph doesn’t exist (the bit about Halley’s comet is worth reading though). You might end up disappointed like I did, but hey! that’s what fanfic’s for right?