#Dallas Speed Dating

[freshthoughts2020]

[datinglife]

Speed Dating in Dallas, Texas: Fast-Paced Connections

Speed dating in Dallas offers a lively and efficient way for singles to meet multiple potential matches in a short time. These events are typically hosted in trendy bars, lounges, or cafes, allowing participants to engage in a series of brief, 3-5 minute conversations with various people. After each round, individuals indicate who they felt a connection with, and if there’s a mutual interest, contact information is shared.

1. Why Speed Dating?

Speed dating is perfect for busy professionals or anyone who wants to meet people face-to-face without the time commitment of traditional dating. Instead of lengthy online chats or drawn-out first dates, speed dating compresses the process into one evening. Dallas has a vibrant social scene, which makes it an ideal city for this type of event. Whether you’re new to the city, expanding your social circle, or actively looking for a relationship, speed dating offers a unique and fast-paced way to explore romantic connections.

2. What to Expect at a Speed Dating Event in Dallas

Speed dating events in Dallas follow a similar format to those held elsewhere. Upon arrival, participants are usually given name tags or numbers and seated in pairs. Each round typically lasts 3-5 minutes, allowing both people enough time to ask questions, exchange pleasantries, and gauge compatibility. Once the timer sounds, participants move to the next person for another mini-date.

At the end of the evening, attendees fill out a scorecard indicating who they would like to see again. If two people express mutual interest, the organizers facilitate the exchange of contact information. Read More

[2knightt]

— YOU SHOWED ME LOVE .

—IN WHICH, the greasers realize they’re truly, and honestly, in love.

tags/warnings: gn!reader possible OOC, story-focused rather than comedic headcanons, fluff and nothing else(lie), comforting steve, swearing, soda’s part is rushed cuz i ran out of ideas.

ೃauthor notes⁀➷ wow shocker i leave for awhile and come back with a new theme. anyways, hi angels! i love you all sm and i forgot how much i loved being here🥹..! i missed u guys so much!

—

Johnny Cade

cars zoomed by the lot at concerning speeds, the sound of wind being broken up by the obnoxious cop sirens or a drunkard yelling down the street.

though, to you and johnny, all of that fell to deaf ears. it was like the world didn’t matter to you—as long as johnny sat beside you.

the stars seemed to only shine above you two, twinkling and gleaming in ways that you’d never seen before. the moon was your sunlight, with johnny giving you the warmth.

his head rested on top of yours that was against his shoulder, his arm draped loosely around your waist. your thigh was pressed against his, making him more than a little nervous.

sitting in the lot with you made him nervous, despite you and him dating for a long while now. you made him..giddy. that’s the word.

you made him feel like a child again; the child he never got to be.

johnny had his head tilted upward toward the stars and the sky, matching what you were doing so he didn’t look like a clueless idiot.

your hand left your lap, your eyes flickering downward for just a moment that went unnoticed to johnny. you gently grabbed his scarred hand, holding his hand in yours. you held him like he was glass.

johnny felt his face get hot. like, really hot. you were so gentle with him, the type of gentle that he had never been treated with.

he looked down at you, your head still on his shoulder. your hair was so shiny, you were so beautiful and such a perfect fit for him with the way your body mended with his in a time like this.

perfect.

his lips were quickly pressed against the crown of your head, pulling away before he got too nervous to talk.

“i love you, y’know.”

Dallas Winston

“you’ll be fine.”

“i feel like ‘m bleedin’ out.”

dallas complained as he sat on your couch, his legs spread so that you could properly stand between them. you continued to dab the wet cloth against his cheek to get the dried blood off.

there seemed to be just as much of dried blood as there was fresh, his arms and hands coverer in gauze and bandaids.

you gently held his chin to turn his head every which way you needed, because he allowed you to. he liked you so much, he allowed you to move him around like a doll.

though, he liked slyvia a lot, too and she couldn’t do stuff like that. stuff like this with slyvia was weird, even if he did like her.

so, why was it different with you? what made you, of all people, so special?

his eyes were locked onto yours, taking extra note to how focused you look on cleaning his face up. you were pretty. like, real pretty.

dallas was quick to avert his eyes when he realized just how sappy his internal monologue sounded.

“what?”

you asked, taking note to how hyper-aware dallas suddenly looked. his jaw was clenched slightly as he seemingly refused to look at you.

how you always knew when something was up with him, he may never know.

“nothin’. the cuts jus’ hurt,”

he lied right out of his teeth.

dallas’ eyes met yours once more, trying to act tough once again. he asked himself once more, what made you so different?

“are you sure?”

you dropped the wet cloth slightly, the rag no longer against his cheek. you looked worried, and you sounded just as nervous.

you cared.

you cared for dallas winston. that’s what made you different.

dallas knew you were different from his other flings.

he liked his other flings. he loved you. he loved that you cared for him, genuinely.

he extended his hands out, grabbing your waist to pull you closer with a firm tug, your knee supporting you up as it was pressed against the edge of the couch.

“oh, ‘m real sure, pretty.”

“dally, please.”

“please, what?”

“don’t start with me now, winston.”

Ponyboy Curtis

you were golden.

completely and utterly golden. the sunset reflected off your skin like you were an angel, your eyes shimmering like the stars above, the flush across your face making you look beyond innocent.

ponyboy was the one to drag you out into the cold oklahoma winter in the first place. he just wanted to watch the sunset with you, the person he liked.

he protested against your arguments of, ‘it’s so cold out, though! it’s so warm inside, pony. don’t make me go out there!’ with, ‘it’s just a sunset. it’ll be for a few minutes! i jus’ wanna watch it with you. please, y/n?’

‘watch the sunset,’ his ass. he looked at the setting sun maybe twice in the span of 3 minutes. you were too beautiful to not look at.

of course, and thankfully, you were oblivious to his staring.

“it’s really pretty,”

you muttered. your eyes were locked onto the horizon, and his were locked onto his future.

his future.

the more he thought about it, he really liked you. like, to the point where whenever he envisioned a mile stone in his life, you were always there.

when he imagined graduating, you’d be there. when he imagined going to college, you’d be there. when he imagined getting married, you’d be standing at the alter with him.

he loved his future.

he loved you.

“real pretty.”

ponyboy agreed, but for a different reason.

Sodapop Curtis

the moonlight seeped through the curtains of his room, illuminating the lines that it managed to sneak it’s way through. the midnight sky was bright, yet the moon seemed to be the only focus for the stars.

soda held you in his arms loosely, your head resting gently on his chest. he traced imaginary shapes on the lower part of your back.

the sound of his fan whirling rang out through his room, your breathing falling into a rhythm as you drifted off to sleep.

soda always seemed to notice when you were about to fall asleep, and you didn’t know how he did. you were starting to suspect he might be a wizard.

he pressed a kiss against the top of your head, letting his lips linger there for a moment.

his life was hectic. it really was. he was a dropout who works a full time job to help his older brother keep a roof over their head, and he worked as a middle man in arguments.

but you, you were a breath of fresh air.

he needed you like he needed water.

he needs you.

he loves needing something, and he loves needing you.

he loves you. soda loves you so, so, so much.

“good night, baby. i love you.”

Darry Curtis

“oh, y/n,”

darry sighed as he entered the kitchen. the smell of freshly cooked dinner wafted through the air, leaving a comforting taste in everyone’s mouth.

he walked up behind you, your back turned to him as your focus was on scrubbing the last bit of dishes. his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling himself closer to you as if he needed to be as close as possible.

he rested his chin on your shoulder, his eyes looking down at your hands in the sink. you turned your head to look back at him, your faces a mere centimetres away.

you couldn’t necessarily help the smile that tugged on the corners of your lips at seeing darry look so grateful.

darry was a busy, hardworking man. that's who he was, and who he will always be as long as he lives. he provides with no one to provide for him.

until you came into the photo.

darry was cooking dinner out of fear that soda'd burn the roasted potatoes he said he'd make, and ponyboy was just..not that good with anything other than eggs.

he was cooking, cleaning, and working. he had no time to himself, it seemed. but you, the angel you are, takes it off his hands. maybe it was to just have him all to yourself after work, he didn’t care.

you were the angel that he prayed for day and night.

and god knows how darry loves angels.

you ruffed his hair, not bothering to dry off the water that stuck to your skin. darry chuckled, lightly shaking his head in a poor attempt to dry his loose curls.

in his own retaliation, he pulls you impossibly close, attacking your face with as many kisses he could. giggles filled the room as you attempted to push yourself away from him, only for his grip to tighten.

he pulled away at his expense, pressing one last kiss on the crown of your head.

“love you, doll. i really do,”

Steve Randle

“you’re always welcomed here, steve. you know that,”

you lightly scolded him as he sat on the edge of your bed. he’d been couch hopping before he came to you, a broken and embarrassed man.

you were rummaging around in your closest for another old blanket he could use, since from prior experience, you learned that steve has a tendency to hog the blanket you two shared.

“i know, i know.”

he begrudgingly grumbled, hurriedly avoiding eye contact with you with his head down, looking at his hands on his lap.

you looked over your shoulder, seeing just how embarrassed he looked asking for help tugged on your heart strings a little.

steve was never one to ask for help, no. he thought he was too prideful, too good, for help. he thought that he was superman with the way he thought he could help himself 24/7.

you sighed, taking a few steps toward him. you squatted down in front of him, lightly grabbing his hand and holding in it yours. he finally looked back at you with lowered brows, his eyes making him look way more innocent than he actually is.

“i hope you aren’t lying to me.”

“what?”

“do you actually know that i’m always here for you, or are you sayin’ that to shut me up?”

you questioned, allowing yourself to be straightforward since it seemed like that was the only language he knew.

steve shifted his eyes away from yours for a moment, a small huff leaving his lips.

“maybe.”

“steve,”

you started, the disappointment emanate in your tone. you stood up, letting go of his rough hand to cup his face. you forced him to look back at you.

“you know you aren’t ever a burden. i love having you around. i love you, okay? i wouldn’t ever push you away.”

you stated in the most soothing voice you could muster, looking him right in the eyes to really drive your point forward.

steve took awhile to react. he just looked back at you, letting your words process in his head. after a moment, he wrapped his arms around your torso, pulling you close.

he buried his face in the nape of your neck, his breaths coming out shaky as he tried to calm himself.

he loved home, he really did.

and, look, steve isn’t stupid. he’s heard and understood the saying that, ‘home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.’ but he always thought it was stupid.

how do you feel at home?

well, now he gets it.

with you in his arms, you comforting him and talking to him like he was a human, and he’s never felt more at home.

and holy shit, he loves this feeling.

“love you. love you so, so, so much.”

Two-Bit Mathews

laughter rang out through your empty living room, the television being completely drowned out.

you gasped for more air as you and two-bit laughed at an inside joke that seemed to only make sense to you two. you hand your hand on his shoulder, the other on your stomach. two-bit was leaning toward you unconsciously.

“holy hell, two-bit! that’s so messed up!”

you feigned innocence, pretending like you didn’t play into the jokes that slipped off his tongue.

“well, shit! then i guess we’re both messed up since you were jus’ talkin’ about-“

“hey, wait!”

you were quick to cut him off, leaning toward him to cover his mouth with your hand.

“don’t go snitchin’ on me!”

two-bit snickered to the best of his ability, grabbing your wrist lightly to pull you toward him closer. you stumbled toward him, two-bit catching you by putting his hands firmly on your hips.

looking back at you with a sloppy smile across your face, your eyes having a certain mischievous shine to them made it hard for two-bit to look away.

you were so beautiful when you were happy. you were always beautiful.

how someone like you was able to understand his type of humour is beyond him. he just knows that he’s lucky, and that he’d be a fool to let you slip through his fingers.

he didn’t want to lose this moment, ever.

he loved moments like this.

though, he only ever experienced these moments with you. so, is it weird to say that he only loves moments that involve you? does that mean something?

does he love you?

yes, yes he does.

he’d let the whole world know that, too.

“god, i love you, pretty.”

[cranberrv]

dating dallas winston headcanons

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ a/n : aghhh first post on here!! lowk kind of nervous, but i thought this would be a strong way to start since everyone loves dal <3 i really hope you enjoy lovelies !! requests are open ! ( not proofread btw, ignore any mistakes <3 )

- dating dal is something special, because he doesn’t really do long-term

- so people know that you’re different, a girl he actually wants to keep in his life for a while

- it’s electric, to say the least. it’s hard to keep your hands off each other

- even in a non sexual manner, he finds himself always wanting to touch you in some way

- keep in mind he is much less than a gentleman, forgetting to open doors for you and not bringing you flowers on dates

- but he cares. and that’s something

- small gestures like a hand around your waist or always keeping an eye on you at parties. brushing down a fly away piece of your hair with his hand, making sure he’s on the side of the sidewalk closer to the road, to keep you safe.

- that’s how you know he cares about you, not through grand, movie-like gestures

- sometimes he cares a bit too much, getting too overprotective

- some drunk guy talks to you at the bar? he mysteriously leaves with a black eye. and god forbid someone touches you in a manner he doesn’t approve of, someone might be ending up in the hospital.

- you get into arguments about that sort of thing, saying he’s being too dramatic or that you were capable of defending yourself.

- actually, you get into arguments about everything

- he’s usually the one to start them. if he’s in a bad mood, he will find anything to argue about. wether you teased him and he took offence, or you stole his jacket because it was chilly

- he’s defensive and cocky, and will not end an argument until he gets the last word in

- maybe muttering some rude name at you under his breath, or interrupting you until you finally give up

- you should not expect to win any arguments with him and his stubbornness

- he’s not gonna apologize either, unless it’s something really serious, like if he made you cry

- then he’ll ghost you for a few days, then come back and apologize

- other than that, most arguments either end in cuddling or him ghosting you for a week or so

- speaking of cuddling, he only really likes it whenever he’s tired or tipsy. he’ll lazily wrap his arms around you in bed, and keep you there. there’s no way you’re getting up

- rubbing your back with his hand, holding you to his chest, planting kisses on your head are normal occurrences during these peaceful moments

- cuddling him is about as rare as the northern lights, so you take advantage of it

- other than that, most nights end in make-out sessions

- sleepy kisses are his absolute favourite, his lips lazily caressing yours

- he’s always in control, don’t even try

- his big hand holding your head in place, and his other hand holding your waist

- he loves kissing you. everywhere he possibly can. head, lips, cheek, forehead, neck, shoulder, everywhere.

- he loves making out at the drive-in (or more cough cough), it’s so risky and he looooves PDA

- he often takes you to the drive-in or the dingo for dates, nothing fancy

- he always picks you up at your house, he doesn’t wanna meet you there in case you’re first and it looks like he’s late

- the torn leather of the passengers car seat becomes a common place for you to sit, he loves driving around with you

- your parents don’t trust him or his driving, based on the amount of times dates have been cut short because he’s been pulled over and taken to the police station for speeding

- so because of your parents aversion to him, whenever he wants to visit you, he just sneaks into your bedroom

- he thinks he’s being subtle with that, but yet your parents can always smell the cigarette smoke and leather the next day

- in conclusion, dating dallas can be very layered and complicated, but overall, very fun and exhilarating <3

[staygolden-and-chaotic]

Dallas Winston’s kid sister headcannon

A/N - I lovvvvvvvve the idea of Dallas Winston having a kid sister. So here’s a headcannon about how it would be.

_________________________________________________

• Firstly there half siblings, same dad different mom.

• As Dallas Winston’s little sister, you’re not just a greaser you’re a force of nature. The same reckless, no-holds-barred attitude that makes Dally infamous runs through your veins. You’ve got his sharp tongue, his “don’t mess with me” glare, and his knack for finding trouble.

•Dally may not show it with hugs or sweet words, but he’s fiercely protective of you. If someone even breathes wrong in your direction, Dally’s ready to throw down. He’s been known to show up out of nowhere if he thinks you’re in danger, scaring off anyone who crosses you.

• You and Dally argue like cats and dogs, but it’s all in good fun (most of the time). Whether it’s about who’s tougher or who got into more trouble last week, neither of you ever backs down.

• Growing up with Dally means you learned the ropes of street life early. He taught you how to hotwire a car, handle a switchblade, and hustle your way out of bad situations. He trusts you to hold your own, but he’s always got your back if things go south.

• Dally isn’t the type to say “I love you,” but he has his ways of showing he cares. He’ll slip you a couple of bucks when you’re broke, leave you his last cigarette, or stand outside your job at night to make sure you get home safe.

• Being Dally’s little sister comes with a certain reputation. Everyone knows not to mess with you because they’ll have to answer to him. But that doesn’t stop you from proving you can handle yourself just fine without his help.

• Growing up with Dally means your life is full of wild stories. From sneaking into drive-ins to high-speed getaways, you’ve shared adventures that most people couldn’t imagine.

• While you’re close, there’s always tension simmering under the surface. Dally’s tendency to shut people out sometimes includes you, and it hurts when he won’t let you in. But you know it’s his way of protecting you from the darker parts of his world.

• Being Dally’s sibling makes you an honorary part of the gang. Ponyboy sees you as another sibling, Soda’s always ready to cheer you up, and Two-Bit loves cracking jokes at your expense. Even Johnny, quiet as he is, watches out for you like a big brother.

• Dally isn’t the type to play the doting brother in public, but behind closed doors, he’ll check in on you when you least expect it. He’ll gruffly ask if you’ve eaten or toss a blanket over you if you fall asleep on the couch. It’s these small, rare moments that show how much he really cares.

• Rules: Despite his “live free or die trying” attitude, Dally is surprisingly strict when it comes to you. He’ll let you get away with a lot, but there’s an unspoken set of rules: no dating punks he doesn’t approve of ( the gang, Shepards, or anyone at the matter) no ratting to the cops, and definitely no getting involved with anything that might land you in jail. Not because he’s a hypocrite, but because he doesn’t want you to end up like him.

• Dally tries to steer you away from the worst parts of the life he leads, even if he doesn’t always set the best example. He’ll warn you about trusting the wrong people or getting too comfortable in the greaser lifestyle, though his lectures are often cut short by his own bad decisions.

• Like Dally, you’ve got a short fuse, and the two of you have had some explosive arguments over the years. Whether it’s about his recklessness or your stubbornness, your fights can shake the whole neighborhood. But no matter how bad it gets, you always make up in your own unspoken way.

• The gang practically adopted you the moment Dally brought you around. Two-Bit treats you like his favorite little sibling to annoy, Soda’s always got a big grin for you, and Johnny is quietly protective of you, just like Dally. Pony sees you as the slightly wilder counterpart to himself, and Darry keeps a close eye on you when Dally isn’t around.

• Dally’s biggest advice to you is to never let anyone see you cry. He’s the first to wipe your tears when you’re upset, but he’ll tell you, “The second they see you’re soft, you’re done. Toughen up.” It’s harsh, but it’s his way of preparing you for the rough world you both live in.

• As Dally’s sister, people expect you to be just as tough and untouchable as he is. While you live up to the reputation most of the time, there are moments when you hate being seen as just “Dally’s sister” instead of your own person.

• Sometimes, words aren’t necessary. You and Dally can sit on a rooftop sharing a cigarette, watching the stars, and not say a word. In those quiet moments, you feel closer to him than ever, knowing he doesn’t need to speak to show he cares.

• Though he’d never admit it, Dally’s biggest fear is losing you. You’re one of the few people who keep him tethered to the world, and he’d burn the whole city down before he let anyone hurt you. If you ever got caught in trouble you couldn’t handle, Dally would do whatever it took to pull you out even if it meant sacrificing himself.

• No matter how much you fight or how much trouble you get into, Dally is your brother, and no one can take that away. You both know that when it comes down to it, you’d do anything for each other even if you’d rather die than admit it out loud.

[coastershells]

S U N - K I S S E D

IN WHICH — dallas isn’t very willing to give you up to a soc.

⚠️ : violence , a little bit of blood , but mostly dallas being.. dallas.

not proofread at all. / requested? | yes : no

｡°‧⭑.ᐟ wc — 1.3k

you shut your locker with a sigh as you try to make the books in your arms more comfortable in your grip. you want to sigh again , but you don’t.

you hold your breath , actually.

a few months ago you had broken up with your boyfriend , josh , which was a soc. you caught him cheating with another girl at a party. he claims he was drunk , and didn’t like that girl , but you weren’t up for it. ever since then , he’s been — well , he used to silently harass you , make sure nobody else was around when he begged for your forgiveness and nearly forced himself onto you. but it’s not quite silent anymore.

last week , he make a whole scene at lunch and screamed how you were so stupid to leave him.

you both got sent home that day. and a suspension landed on him , luckily you were let off rather easy. sure , you threw your lunch at him , but he started it in the first place!

even now , he still won’t leave you alone. sometimes , when it’s really bad , someone is atleast around to stop him from bothering you.

you grumble and head for the school doors , waving some of your friends bye as you walked out. you only let your mind wander again when you were walking down the street , the talking of other people fading.

it’s times like this when you feel uneasy , when there’s no one around , and you wish someone was walking you home.

specifically , the closet person you can name , dallas.

dallas wasn’t exactly a good person , but he wasn’t just an asshole , well — he was. but just not to you.

he’d walk you to and from school , and when you asked him why he no longer went , he made up a stupid excuse like ; “ don’t need it. i’m too smart. “

which he wasn’t.

when he walked you home , you feel safer. way safer , you felt safe with dallas in general. even when he stole , or did something completely dangerous.

you liked him.

and he obviously liked you , too. which led to you guys dating in secret.

none of the gang knew — well , two-bit was starting to catch on.

two-bit had noticed dallas wasn’t flirting with every girl he saw now , he would ignore them if they talked to him , or if he was at his job and a girl started to get touchy , he would tell them off.

though , two-bit never would think you were the reason.

mostly your friend sierra , or dallas would walk with you to stop your weird ex from harassing you yet again.

but sierra had cheerleading practice , and dallas was hanging out with the gang.

and you just prayed , absolutely prayed that this wasn’t one of josh’s days.

and if it was , just begging.

but no.

not this time.

“ baby , please! it’s been months! you can drop the act! “ he shouts from behind you. a shiver runs down your spine at the name.

“ don’t call me that. i told you , me and you are done! i don’t want you like that anymore! “ you say , and you already feel that lump in your throat coming back , like you’re about to cry again or something. “ please , just leave me alone. “ you barley manage.

“ why do you have be so damn difficult. “ he says , and you can hear his anger growing. you look back and realize that he’s actually picking up the pace in his strides.

“ just — just stop! “ you cry out , and you really wish you would’ve walked home with your friend today.

even as you do speed walk , and turn that into a run , he still ends up catching you and pulling you back by your shoulder. he presses you up against a nearby fence and you try you best to struggle or to get out , or to shout , or anything actually useful.

“ let me go! get offa me! “ you cry out , but those cries all die down when you see a switchblade in his hand. “ so fuckin’ annoying. all you had to do was get back with me. don’t wanna , huh? been rejectin’ me for 8 months. how about i give you a tattoo of my name? “ he sneers.

and that’s when panic really starts to set in.

“ somewhere visible.. “ he mutters as you try to rip yourself away , but his grip on your hair makes it more than impossible.

“ how about your arm? “ he twists you and has your face on the fence instead , and you wanna break out into a sob — no — you are.

“ got me suspended , fuck you. wouldn’t have happened if you would just listen. “

you whine as you feel the cold steel hit your skin , and you let out a yelp as he drags it down your arm.

“ please — stop jacob , let me go! “ you scream in pain as you feel the warmness begin to drip down your arm.

you were praying that he would stop , a change of heart — anything.

“ you’ll pay. i told you to just love me — it was one fuck up — you don’t listen- “

before he could finish talking , you heard the cracking of phones and a grunt come from behind you , and the grip on your hair releases along with the knife.

you gasp and turn around quickly , only to reveal a very much angered dallas and a surprised jacob.

“ what the fuck do you think you’re doin’ to my girl? “

“ my — my girl? “ jacob gasps out and looks at you. “ you cheatin bitch. “ he says in disbelief.

how could you cheat if you weren’t with him? that’s what you wanted to say , but as soon as you saw the blood dripping down your arm , you slid down the fence onto the floor. dallas gave you a quick glance before he walked towards jacob.

“ alright , listen here , you little shit. “ he spat as he grabbed him by his neck and a punch to his stomach , another strangled gasp came from him. “ you mess with her ever again in your fuckin life — “ another punch , right to his nose this time , and you can tell it’s broken , you heard the disgusting crunch of it and you wonder — what did dallas break before?

“ i will personally , deal with you. and it won’t be as soft as a broken nose. i’ll put you six feet under. and that’s my only promise to you. “

jacob nods , but he doesn’t seem to be done. that’s when you realize that he’s slowing reaching for his switchblade , and with no other option , you stumble to your feet and kick it onto the road.

dallas doesn’t seem to notice your action , he just seems to notice you. but before he even says anything to you , he pulls a very much exhausted jacob up from the floor and pushes him the other way , distancing him from you two. “ don’t wanna see your ugly face again. “ dallas says as he pulls out a cigarette and jacob runs away.

dallas then , finally turns to you and stares you down. “ what’s cookin’ , good lookin’? “ dallas laughs dryly at your scowl when he finishes the sentence. “ ew. don’t say that ever again. “ you nudge him playfully as he lights his cigarette. “ thanks — for , uh — “

dallas pauses , then takes your arm in his hand , and turns it. you wince. “ y-yeah , he got me good. “ you mutter and he makes a sound of disapproval.

“ if i knew he gave you this , would’ve done em’ way worse than a broken nose , sweetheart. “ he lets your arm go and urges you on.

“ come on , gonna patch you up. i’ve learned a thing or two about cuts after the rumbles i go to. “ he laughs at his own comment , and you stare blankly.

“ seriously , that guy’s a fuckin’ weirdo. i wish he would show his face around here again so i can blow it right off. “

“ no shootin people , dal. “

“ no promises , doll. “

AN : this is so rushed like when i tell you i wrote it in less than an hour..SOB.

uhh double post tomorrow i suppose maybe triple if i finish this fic i’m making for one of my moots on here but !! ya!!

taglist : @every1hatesmayaa , @enduplookinlikethescarybitches ( someone else ask to be on here i beg 🙏 )

[noobforever]

The Womanizer and The Maneater Pt. 1

Dallas “Dally” Winston X Reader

Description: What happens when Dallas Winston, a boy known throughout Tulsa for running through women like hurdles, notices a new girl in town with spunk, charm, and crazy good looks running through boys like traffic cones and leaving them wanting more?

Authors notes: The songs that inspired me to write this are at the end! Give them a listen if you haven’t heard them already, they’re mad good.

I’m looking for any requests with The Outsiders, Back To The Future, The Karate Kid, Up The Academy, and Cobra Kai.

P. S, I hope you all enjoy as English is not my first language so please tell if there are any grammatical mistakes.

———————————————————————————

Whistles were heard through the air. The sound of black heels clicking against the rough pavement of Tulsa echoed, leaving men turning their heads and one car even slowing down to simply get a glimpse of this supposed girl.

Quite the beaut to see, a blossoming belladonna knowing her effects on passersby, yet seemingly acting nonchalantly at the occurrence as if it’s a normal act for her to be catching eyes like a lone flower in a garden. Because it is.

She’s a youthful, charming lady by the name of Y/N. A suave girl able to attract men from anywhere, but also a maneater of sorts.

To be frank a maneater of many sorts. She was well aware of her effects on boys from an early age, and well, she decided to play into it.

At first she didn’t do it for fun, she genuinely wanted a nice, long relationship. However, she figured out that after a little bit, no matter the person, the gifts, the looks, nor money, she always found herself bored.

In other words she could never find one man enough to satisfy her constant changing tastes. So she started viewing it as a game of sorts.

“It” as in “love”

She went through boys like traffic cones, seeing who lasted longer, who’d give her the best gifts, who had the best hair, who had the best voice, who this, that, this, that, this. Leaving them with broken hearts, yet still.. yearning for more of her.

In her defense, she couldn’t help it, she just lost interest after a bit of time, and who was anyone to judge her? In her opinion it was a good thing she didn’t lead them on thinking that she still wanted them.

Y/N had two rules to herself

Those were to never. ever. Date the same boy twice

And to never. ever. Date a boy whilst having eyes for another.

And Y/N never broke them.

———————————————————————————

Luscious h/c hair flowing in the wind, she moves a hand softly to place a strand out of her face, behind her ear, whilst the other clutches a small handbag. A lovely fitted dress capturing all of her curves perfectly as she walked.

She seems to catch all eyes, nothing less being expected from her, however, one pair belonging to a certain grease decides to take the extra step as to follow her, this man being none other than Dallas Winston himself.

A young man that some would classify as a “womanizer” He flirted with random chicks, slept with them, lead them on, toyed with them, and so much more. However to him, he just didn’t care. Dally did what he wanted, when he wanted, didn’t care about the repercussions, and that applied to everything, including girls.

He took one last drag from his cigarette, observing the girl moving past him, before tossing the cancer stick on the ground and putting it out with his boot in a firm, yet swift movement. Dally started walking and began to speed up his pace gradually.

He eventually managed to get up close enough behind her to the point where he was sure that she could hear him. So of course he did as expected of any degenerate such as himself with his eyes on a girl like that, and whistled at her.

However, to his dismay she continued walking by as if nothing happened. “Hey!” He walked faster, catching up to her side.

Finally managing to grab her attention enough for her to glance at him he began speaking. “Hey pretty girl I know that you heard me.” His thick, New York accent coming out . “C’mon- Don’t you know it ain’t exactly nice to ignore somebody huh?” Dally huffs.

“Yeah, I heard you all right, as well as all the other guys doing the same thing.” She scoffs. “I mean-Don’t you know that it’s not exactly nice to catcall somebody?” Y/N continues walking, with her head tilted up slightly in an attempt to dismiss him.

“Yeah yeah whatever man, but if it keeps getting girls like you talking to me, then what the hell!” He laughs after spouting his cheesy blabber, and remains alongside her.

“Ain’t you got somewhere to be?” She retorts.

He lets out a quick hum and responds sleazily “Nah, ‘m fresh out the cooler baby.. looking for a new broad myself.. and hey.. you look pretty new to me, you got a name sweetheart?” He removes his hands out of the pockets of his black leather jacket.

Clutching her bag a little tighter, she takes in the appearance of him, with ragged yet fitting dark hair, chiseled cheekbones, and fair skin, she replies after a quick thought, “Well that’s because I am new here, hun. And why exactly should I give you my name hm?.”

“Because I asked nicely, and I’m never nice.” He responds truthfully.

“Well.. if that sounds like a good reason to you,” She rolls her eyes. “I’m Y/N, Y/N L/N.” Y/N turns her head slightly and gives him a quick nod, taking in his appearance once more, then moving her head back forward.

“Dallas, Dallas Winston. Call me Dally. I’m sure you might’ve heard of me already, and if you haven’t then you’ll be in for a real treat..” He says pridefully.

Playfully she responds, “Call you Dally?” “Well if you keep following me around like some little lost puppy I might just have to call animal control on ya.” She giggles softly, hoping he takes the joke light heartedly.

“Funny girl huh? I like that..”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah..”

She makes a sudden turn to the left, bumping into him and losing her balance, just for him to pull her in by the waist and holding a firm grip on her arm to hold her right back up. “Easy there Y/N, fall one more time and you might just end up falling for me.” He teases. “Although, I don’t think I’d mind that at all.” Dally lets go of Y/N once he knows that she’s stable.

“Thank you but, haha, you’re very funny- no not really. But whatever helps you sleep at night, Dals.” She jokes once more, a little bluntly near the end before continuing towards the music store, without making any effort to try and say goodbye.

She reels him in, -leaving him there, and leaving him wanting more. She’s done it before to others, and already knows that she’s doin it again to him.

Nonetheless he does what any boy such as himself would do, and he follows right on her trail. He takes a step and opens the door for her right before she walks in.

They both smile.

But for different reasons.

Feeling satisfied, thinking that he’s gonna some fun with her for a bit, see what she’s all about, he smiles.

Delighted, thinking that she has another guy to test and trial for a bit, ‘n see what he’s all about, she smiles.

“Quite the doll aren’t you?”

“Don’t mention it sweetheart.”

The bells connected to the door ring, alarming the man at the front desk. “Evening!”

“Evening!” Y/N waves in response kindly.

They were going to have fun.

T.B.C (if y’all want ofc)

[mariacallous]

On Monday, United States prosecutors in Sacramento, California, unveiled a 15-count indictment accusing Dallas Erin Humber, 34, and Matthew Robert Allison, 37, of serving as core members of a virulent neo-Nazi propaganda network that solicited attacks on federal officials, power infrastructure, people of color, and material support for acts of terrorism both within the US and overseas.

The group, known as the Terrorgram Collective, has produced four publications to date—a blend of ideological motivation, mass murder worship, neofascist indoctrination, and how-to manuals for chemical weapons attacks, infrastructure sabotage, and ethnic cleansing. The screeds have directly inspired a series of ideologically motivated attacks around the world, including a 2022 mass shooting at an LGBTQ bar in Bratislava, Slovakia; successful attacks on power infrastructure in North Carolina and similar failed plots in Baltimore and New Jersey; and a stabbing spree in the Turkish city of Eskisehir.

Federal prosecutors allege Humber, Allison, and other Terrorgram Collective members were in the process of compiling a fifth, yet-to-be-released publication devoted to a pantheon of “saints”—neofascist mass murderers like Timothy McVeigh and Anders Breivik. The point of this guide, prosecutors claim, was to “inspire Terrorgram users to commit acts of violence.”

Humber and Allison were both federal targets as early as early 2023, but authorities appear to have waited for a year and a half to compile evidence of potential attacks around the world, and for the British government’s decision this April to formally ban the Terrorgram Collective, before filing an indictment that could land the defendants in prison for more than two centuries. To date, American authorities have charged at least four individuals allegedly involved in the Terrorgram Collective with terrorism-related offenses.

While the arrests are not the first targeting the Terrorgram Collective—Slovakian Pavol “SlovakBro” Beňadik and former Atomwaffen Division founder Brandon Russell hold that honor—the charges against Humber and Allison represent a major change from how the FBI and US Department of Justice approach diffuse “accelerationist” terrorism—the nihilist brand of neofascism that seeks to speed up societal collapse and the ascent of a Fourth Reich through mass shootings, bombings, and other acts of terrorism by “lone wolf” actors. Relying on the UK government’s April order declaring the Terrorgram Collective a banned terrorist group and a little-employed section of the “material support for terrorism” section of the US criminal code, federal prosecutors are finally taking an aggressive, whole-of-law approach to violent neofascist extremism.

“What it shows is exactly what I’ve been arguing for years: All the tools they need to do this work, they have,” says Michael German, a former FBI special agent and a liberty and national security fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, an NYU School of Law nonprofit. German points to years of arguments by the FBI and Department of Justice that they are hamstrung by existing laws when it comes to tackling violent extremists within the United States. “It also reveals the false separation that the government makes about international and domestic terrorism—white supremacy has always been transnational.”

In 2018, German coauthored a study of federal domestic terrorism prosecutions that argued existing laws were sufficient to tackle domestic terrorism, pointing to a particular statute used to charge Humber and Allison with material support. “It’s the material support statute the DOJ forgot,” says German.

The UK’s order against the Terrorgram Collective provided American authorities a basis for labeling a diffusive, ostensibly domestic propaganda group as a “transnational terrorist organization” in a detention motion filed on Tuesday, potentially opening Humber and Allison up to deleterious additional charges and sentencing enhancements. In other words, the US is treating Terrorgram in ways similar to how it has treated Islamist terrorist organizations.

“I would think of this case more like an old-school terrorism investigation, where you have a leadership cell that pushed info to followers and radicalized them into action,” says Seamus Hughes, a terrorism researcher at the University of Nebraska Omaha, of the indictment’s allegations against Humber and Allison.

The role of undercover agents in at least two of the Terrorgram federal prosecutions, the DOJ’s repeated citation of the group’s outlawed status in Great Britain as basis for labeling it a transnational terrorism organization, and the alleged targeting of power infrastructure by participants in the propaganda network, Hughes says, all point to US law enforcement taking a new approach to tackling violent right-wing extremism.

“The vast majority of material support cases are jihadi, but right here, they [allegedly] inspired an individual to plot an attack against a power plant,” he adds. “That’s critical infrastructure and is the lynchpin for the material support of terrorism charge.”

The power infrastructure plot Hughes references is the case of Andrew Takhistov, an 18-year-old New Jersey man charged in July with soliciting another individual to attack energy facilities. Court documents describe Tahkistov as a virulently hateful young man who fantasized about attacking a synagogue and participated in a March 2024 demonstration by an Atlantic City–based “active club” in support of jailed neo-Nazi leader Robert Rundo, was ever-present in the Terrogram Collective’s Telegram channels.

Along with allegedly circulating propaganda from the Terrorgram Collective and urging lone-wolf attacks, the feds claim in court records that Tahkistov bragged about participating in the production of the group’s “Hard Reset” publication, describing it as “the perfect starting guide” for a lone-wolf terrorist. “It has ideology, it has how-to guides, it has ideas for funny things, it goes into how you should plan it, it goes into the thought process,” Takhistov allegedly told an undercover FBI agent with whom he plotted the erstwhile attack on power stations near North Brunswick and New Brunswick, New Jersey.

These details were included in Tahkistov’s indictment, which also outlined his alleged plans to travel to Russia and join the Russian Volunteer Corps, a neo-Nazi combat battalion fighting for the Ukrainian military, which was founded by Denis Kapustin, an Azov Movement–connected extremist who tried to help Rundo flee the US in 2018, in order to gain weapons expertise and military training that would allow him to carry out more effective acts of ideologically motivated terrorism once back in the United States.

Takhistov is in custody and will next appear in court on October 9. He has pleaded not guilty.

Humber and Allison are longtime radicals. Humber’s radicalization appeared to start decades ago, per a report by extremism researchers at Left Coast Right Watch. Research obtained by this reporter shows Humber ran more than two dozen extreme right-wing propaganda channels on Telegram, which circulated the Terrorgram Collective’s material as well as other accelerationist content.

In recent years, aside from narrating audio books of neofascist manifestos and propaganda tracts, Humber also corresponded with convicted domestic terrorist Dylann Roof and with Atomwaffen Division founder Brandon Russell, who ended up joining their collective. “There’s no quitting our worldview. It’s a lifelong commitment,” Humber allegedly told Russell in a recorded jailhouse call following the latter’s arrest in February 2023. Her participation in the network, according to a March 15, 2022, Telegram post included in court filings by prosecutors, was to mold potential terrorists for action. “No military is fighting for us. No govt is protecting our people and defending our interests. The ONLY people fighting for us are lone wolves,” Humber wrote, in reference to a teenager she was trying to indoctrinate. “He’s like 18 yo and seems very impressionable, I’m trying to radicalize him.”

When the FBI raided Humber’s Elk Grove home last week, they recovered reams of Nazi propaganda, 3D-printed firearms—including a homemade AR-15 pattern rifle—a short-barreled rifle, a 3D printer, unregistered handguns, and high-capacity magazines, which remain illegal in California. She remains held without bail.

Allison, who was born in Southern California, lives in a high-end apartment building in downtown Boise, Idaho, and, according to court documents, does not hold a steady job. He doesn’t appear to have a criminal record, aside from a June 2022 misdemeanor. There are very few traces of Allison online, but details cobbled together by researchers indicate he drifted steadily to the right from 2018 onward, starting with the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s content and then moving steadily in the direction of Timothy McVeigh, The Order founder Robert Jay Mathews, and finally, the skull-masked, nihilistic neofascism popularized by the Atomwaffen Division at the end of the last decade.

Under the alias “BanThisChannel,” Allison was one of the most prolific disseminators of Terrorgram’s propaganda materials and was prolific in extreme-right-wing Telegram channels, commiserating with other SoCal skinheads about racial attacks in days gone by and connecting other individuals to militant groups like the Atomwaffen Division. Research obtained by this reporter indicates he worked part-time as a video producer and was the editor who compiled a number of “sizzle reels” for the Terrorgram Collective’s propaganda output online, including a set entitled “The BTC Movie Trilogy” that Takhistov sought out for inspiration.

Nineteen-year-old Slovakian teenager Juraj Krajčík, the perpetrator of the 2022 Bratislava massacre, was in extensive contact with Humber and Allison for at least a year prior to the attack, and sent his manifesto to Allison after he carried out his mass murder, which explicitly cited Terrorgram Collective publications and thanked the group for inspiring him to act. Allison then circulated the manifesto through the group’s Telegram channels. The group proceeded to claim Krajčík as “their first saint.”

Allison’s commitment to neofascism and white supremacy appears to have run deep—“I won’t quit til I’m dead. my only goal in life is to fucking destroy the enemy,” Allison declared in a Telegram post cited by federal prosecutors. Both he and Humber, according to a government detention motion, sought to identify the informant in Brandon Russell’s criminal case. Allison advocated adding the suspected snitch to “The List” (a collection of federal officials, journalists, businessmen, and other perceived enemies circulated by the Terrorgram Collective as potential assassination targets), while Humber allegedly told Russell in a recorded jailhouse call in August 2023 that she had photographs of the suspected informant and was running them through facial recognition software.

When Allison was arrested last week, authorities say, he had a backpack loaded with what appeared to be a “bug-out kit” comprised of zip ties, a gun, duct tape, ammunition, a knife, lockpicking tools, two phones, and a thumb drive. When law enforcement searched his apartment, they turned up an assault rifle, two laptops, an external hard drive, and another “go bag” containing $1,500 in cash, clothes, a passport, ziplock bags full of pills, ammunition, a skull mask balaclava, sim cards, and a birth certificate.

In a videotaped interview following his arrest, Allison allegedly confessed to his participation in the Terrorgram Collective and “engaging in acts alleged in the General Allegations of the Indictment.”

Law enforcement consider Humber and Allison threats to their community, and to authorities as well: Humber allegedly worked with Russell to try to identify a suspected government witness in the Atomwaffen Division founder’s current criminal case in Baltimore, according to recorded jailhouse phone calls. Witnesses in Russell’s upcoming trial this November will testify in a closed courtroom to avoid being identified, a highly unusual precaution. In a sealing motion, prosecutors state that not only are additional arrests of Terrogram Collective members likely, but the group’s membership poses a severe danger to law enforcement and cooperating witnesses alike: “Defendants' many associates, both in the United States and internationally, may seek to harm perceived law enforcement or law enforcement cooperators in retribution for their role in this investigation.”

Allison is currently detained without bail and is set to appear in federal court in Boise on September 18 for a detention hearing.

The volume of evidence laid out against Humber and Allison in both the indictment and detention motion, says Hughes, shows the feds have significantly altered their approach to both far-right terrorism and particularly "lone wolf" accelerationists who have perpetrated massacres ranging from Christchurch in 2019 to Buffalo in 2022.

“When they go further than they have in the past to lay out the transnational connections and overlay a material support charge, it shows that either the feds are trying to make a point, or they were very concerned about these particular actors,” Hughes says.

Senior attorneys from the DOJ’s Civil Rights and National Security divisions are listed on the court filings in this matter, another indication that the top ranks of the Biden administration’s Justice Department called the shots on the Terrorgram Collective investigation.

“To build a case in this fashion is a decision that gets made at Main Justice,” Hughes says. “Someone high up decided to sign off on this.”

[imdead770]

Here’s a random idea I pulled from my ass for you!

So like the reader has that lovely seasonal depression that we’re all enjoying 🥰 And just head cannons of what the gang would do, and how they help them cheer up?

If that makes any sense whatsoever

Ur so real for not wanting to do ur own ideas 💀

The Outsiders x Reader ( Seasonal Depression Headcannons )

Authors Note - I love this idea so much, thank you for giving me something I'll actually write P.S - I understand seasonal depression is longer than a day, but most of these are how the gang would cheer you up in just one day, if that makes sense. Just a quick note.

Darry -

If we're being honest he probably has seasonal depression too but he's too busy to be sad (which I think is why he works so much). So whenever you're experiencing seasonal depression, he tries to help, but he isn't exactly Sodapop. He'd probably just hold you, talk to you, keep you company whenever he could. Probably makes you hot chocolate if we're being honest, yknow, try to make you feel less empty. Love him for that ♡

Sodapop -

He's so confused by your seasonal depression? Like, it's Christmas season, you should be happy as he is. But here you are. He'd get it though, he went through it but worse whenever his parents died. He couldn't stand to see you sad, so he'd definitely comfort you. He'd keep you company, take you on dates (probably winter dates, like ice skating), shower you with affection, anything he could. He'd lay on the bed with you, pull you against him, whispering sweet nothings into your ear. Him playing with your hair as he put on a movie, showering you with kisses until you could barely breathe. In one way or another, he'd make you smile.

Ponyboy -

Being honest, he has it too, he just ignores it. So whenever he sees you anxious, sad, whatever it is, he'd comfort you (in his own way). I think he'd lay down with you and read a book to you, or watch a movie with you, whichever. He wouldn't really confront it head-on, but he'd make you feel better. The moment the two of you got back home he'd lay down with you on the couch and just hold you. He'd try to do it everyday, just to be safe.

Johnny -

This sweet, innocent, perfect boy would do anything for you. So whenever seasonal depression comes around, he 100% comforts you. He's not a fan of these seasons, either. All the holidays mean more time with the family who hates him. He'd take you out to the lot with him, both of you lying beside each other and watching the stars. The two of you would just talk, eventually falling asleep together.

Dallas -

You expect the Dallas Winston to be your therapist? He doesn't have the slightest idea how to comfort you, let alone during seasonal depression. He'd try to take your mind off of it, taking you to parties or sneaking into the drive-in with you. Quick NSFW, he'd probably have have sex with you to cheer you up, too (Honestly most of the gang would). He'd probably help, just in his own way.

Two-Bit -

You're sad? This motherfucker is harassing you with jokes. He will not shut up until you've laughed at least 10 times. He'd stay with you, talk with you, making you laugh at any chance he gets. The two of you would go wherever you felt like going, just because he would do anything to cheer you up. Imagine the two of you going grocery shopping for junk food, you sitting in the cart and him pushing you down the aisles at top speed. You'd definitely be happier by the end of the day.

Steve -

He, like Sodapop, would be so confused. Like he'd literally ask you why, and when you were just like 'huh-uh', he decided to just cheer you up. He'd take you around take, sort of like a little date. Or he'd sit on the bed with you, the two of you eating chocolate cake until you felt like you were gonna throw up. He'd just be like he always is, his fun, cocky self.

♡ I love all of them so much, it's not even funny ♡

[evenmyhivemindisempty]

Following on this ask!

Diego Mendez: He got “married” (not legally binding) to a girl in the cult when they were both 15. Their wedding night ended up being kind of painful and traumatic for her, partially because she thought she might have gotten pregnant, and they didn’t have much penetrative sex after that... save for the few times she was especially horny and sexually frustrated and had him fuck her ass. Their “marriage” dissolved when they were 18 and the compound got raided by the Feds. He got carted off to state prison for taking part in some of the cult’s illegal activities. She did not visit. They’re in sporadic contact now; he still considers her his wife, which pisses her off tremendously.

Lachlan Bishop: He was 16 and it was with his girlfriend’s best friend. He’d actually brought Jo to the mall to help him buy a birthday girl for Talia, but, well, they started flirting in the Victoria’s Secret, he bought some lingerie for her too, and then she just had to try it on when they got back to his place. His girlfriend found out a few days later. It was his first time getting slapped full in the face by a girl he was dating, but nowhere near the last.

Kaminski: He had a steady girlfriend in high school before he figured out relationship’s weren’t his speed, and she decided she was ready to handle his massive monster dong. She… sort of was, until they got too excited and he started going inadvisably fast and hard. That night ended in a very awkward hospital trip. She was fine, but she broke up with him not long after.

Dave Alvarez: When he was 17 he got a fake ID and snuck into some gay clubs. He met an older guy there (30ish) who he eventually started dating. It lasted a year until Alvarez joined the marines. The breakup was amicable, and they stayed in touch for a while, occasionally hooking up when Alvarez was back home on leave. Alvarez considers the relationship to have been a fun and positive experience, but now that he’s approaching 30 himself he does kind of retroactively question why someone would be interested in a 17-year-old. They’re so young!

Dallas Jackson: He was 19 and started hooking up with a squad mate of his after a drunken game of gay chicken went wayyyy too far. That lasted about a year, and when his friend was killed in action he went AWOL to get fucked up in town and probably would’ve been dishonorably discharged if his CO didn’t cover it up for him.

Valentine Chenoweth: He topped Kostya (his boyfriend/pimp) a few weeks after Kostya took him in (Val was just-barely 16), and a month after that Kostya sold his virginity to a guy for $400. Val isn’t sure which one of these “counts”.

[fictionalcharactergraveyard]

dallas winston being dallas winston in all my fics

Birthday Blues - Dally grunted, taking another sip of his shake. “So Shepard and I remembered your birthday but your own blood didn’t?”

Ponyboy felt himself starting to get annoyed. “They didn’t-”

“No, you listen here kid.” Dallas stated, sounding more serious than Pony had ever heard him before. “Having something slip your mind for a moment is one thing, forgetting a date that important about someone you live with is another entirely. Darry is so caught up in his own world, you two don’t speak unless he’s hollering at you for something, and that something is probably so insignificant that if he thought about it for a second more he wouldn’t even say a word. And Sodapop doesn’t have an excuse either. Yeah, he’s busy working, hard workers your brothers are I’ll give them that, but you look up to Soda so much and he knows that. He knows how much you love him. Yet the date of his kid-brother’s birthday isn’t even marked on the calendar. He doesn’t even try to show he cares. Then he has the nerve to stammer out an apology that he wouldn’t have given beforehand unless someone pointed out his oversight. No wonder he flunked.” His words felt like harsh poison. 

Ponyboy was speechless for a second, then went to say something. Dally didn’t let him. 

“And Steve has been doing no favors. Hell, walks into your own house like he owns the damn place, putting you down and ignoring you any chance he gets, acting like you’re nothing more than a bother to him and everyone around. And your brothers let him. I let him too. I won’t no more.” Then he looked Pony in the eye. 

“I’m sorry.” 

I Love You Like an Alcoholic - Steve went to go bother Soda and Pony, Johnny sat at the table, lost in his own thoughts and Dally sat down beside him, right where Soda had sat.

“What’s eating you, hm?” Dally asked. 

Two-Bit raised an eyebrow. “Nothin’. Mom and Molls are holding up well, so I’m just trying to relish that fact.” 

Dally didn’t seem convinced. Dally however, being Dally, didn’t press on. “Whatever you say, man.” 

Meddle About - Dallas Winston wasn’t good at much. Flirting, however, he had a skill for. 

The fight from the week before was still replaying in his head. He and Sylvia had gotten into a pretty heated quarrel- and he was slapped in the face a few times. It wasn’t like he didn’t deserve it, but damn that Charlotte chick was hot . Who could blame him for feeling her up?

Well, Sylvia could. And she did. 

Dallas couldn’t help but get annoyed with her, saying that they weren’t even together, she slept around just as much as she did. Sylvia kept going on about “ You promised! ”

Promised what, he had no idea. He must’ve been drunk. 

But now she was seemingly done with him for good, going on a week without any contact. Longest they’ve gone in a while after a fight. 

To Dallas, it seemed like she was done with him when he started two-timing him and thought he had no idea. 

He wasn’t a total idiot. 

Dallas scoffed, puffing out a cloud of smoke. Now Sylvia was all up in arms with every guy she could get her hands on. And Sylvia looking the way she did, it wasn’t a big challenge for her. Her long light hair, her siren like eyes, her body that was straight out of a damn Playboy Bunny magazine- 

Another thing Dally wasn’t good at was letting anything go. 

Hey Brother? (Do You Still Believe In One Another?) - Darry came back in, putting a black t-shirt over himself as he watched Steve’s beat-up car speed out of the driveway. He sighed, then turned to Dally, who was still munching on his snack. It was just a few seconds of quiet until Darry broke it. “What do you wanna do?” 

Dally grinned ear-to-ear. “Nothing legal, man. Let's get out of here!” He jumped up and ran out the door chackling. Darry was stunned for a moment, before running after him, trying to suppress his own laughter. The Loudest Silence - There was a brief silence. As if they wanted to say more, but knew they shouldn’t. 

So Dally did. “ Hey, Johnny. Has Pony said anything to you ‘bout Darry? ”

“No. Two-Bit told me.” He knew exactly what he was walking about. Johnny could feel the anger starting to come on again. He tried to push it down. “Why?” 

“ Steve mentioned it. ” The bitterness was clear in his tone. “ I swear I’m gonna kill him. ” 

“What?” Johnny exclaimed nervously. “C’mon Dal, it ain’t worth it.” 

“ Don’t start that shit with me, man. ” Dally replied coldly. “ You think we’re just gonna let him get away with that? Have ya gone stupid? ” 

Johnny could feel his anxiety spike high. “I-its just…well I mentioned it and he got all upset, he says that they talked about it and that they made up. What else can we do?” 

“ Make sure the bastard doesn’t think ‘bout doin’ it again .” 

Johnny froze when he heard Dally chuckle darkly to himself. 

 “ See you in five, Johnnycakes. ” 

“Bye Dal.” 

Dally hung up. 

[wqintraining]

NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 2, EPISODE 12 (PART 1 OF 2)

 We open on a beach, underneath the sunset, where Laura and Sofia are playing volleyball against Julian and Noriko, “X-Men vs X-Men in Training”, while Cessily, Roxy, Sooraya, and Brian are playing frisbee. The Cuckoos are seated in lined-up beach chairs, sunbathing. 

Everyone is excited to have completed their first school year! Julian and Sofia were once again voted king and queen of the dance, and have subsequently been barred from being voted for next year. 

SOFIA: “So unfair.” 

JULIAN: “This is America! Where’s the democracy?!” 

Cessily and Roxy wonder if this means they may have a chance, while Laura imagines Dallas and Victor may make that a problem.

CESSILY: “Really? I didn’t even know they were dating.” 

SOFIA, frustrated: “They are, and Dallas has blown up since he started creating content with his shadow. You know I gave him the idea to do so and he hasn’t even credited me.” 

LAURA: “Are you mad because he’s growing faster than you did?” 

SOFIA: “It’s male privilege!” 

NORIKO: “Said the girl dating the living embodiment of it.” 

JULIAN: “Said the girl who can’t find a guy at all.” 

Noriko cringes momentarily, in disbelief he’d say that of all things after everything, and spikes the ball right at his head a super speed, knocking him down. 

Sooraya doesn’t care about any of this, as her mom flew in last night and is on her way to the Washingtons’, thanking Roxy again. Brian is just relieved he didn’t flunk, a sentiment Noriko echoes. 

Aggravated by Noriko’s spike, Julian brings his TK into the game, with Sofia following suit with her winds. Things very quickly escalate as the sky is filled with flashing lights and sand is blown all over the place. 

BRIAN, coughing on sand: “Why…do we keep…letting the fight idiots compete?!"

Eventually, the four players lose control of the ball and it’s sent flying off the court, nearly taking off one of the Cuckoos’ heads. 

SOPHIE: “Watch it, dorks!” 

Julian flies over to retrieve the ball and asks what happened to trying to be their friends. Ms. Frost invited them out here too, so they should come play. 

The Cuckoos exchange sunglasses-covered glances before Phoebe delivers a decisive, “No thank you.” 

Julian shrugs whatever and heads back to the game. Roxy says they should be winding down anyway. Start their bonfire, roast some marshmallows, and then head to the Grindstone for the party. 

Sofia is excited about the party, but sad that it will be the last time she sees most of her friends for three months, as only she, Laura, Julian, and Noriko are staying at the institute over the Summer, while Roxy, Cessily, and Sooraya are all going to stay with Roxy’s parents, Brian is heading back to Puerto Rico, and all of the students who don’t have welcoming families are having chaperoned vacations sponsored by Ms. Frost, Captain Britain, and Archangel. Sofia and Laura are staying for their jobs, Julian isn’t about to go anywhere without Sofia after finally getting her back, and, as Noriko’s said before, she goes where these jerks go. 

As the group ends their games, beeping sounds come from Sofia and Laura's bags. Sofia flies them over to them so they can check what's going on. Sofia apologizes to the others that they're going to be a little late to the party. 

CESSILY: "What's going on?"

Sofia and Laura look at everyone else smugly. 

LAURA: "X-Men business." 

In an underground base, two U-Men are guarding the entrance. 

U-MAN #1: “Did you hear the rumor going around?” 

U-MAN #2: “About Jack’s drinking problem? Yeah, I’m really rooting for the guy.” 

U-MAN #1: “What? No? I’m talking about Mr. Sublime. People are saying he’s dead.” 

U-MAN #2, snorting: “That’s just like big government. Taking good men prisoner for fighting against the status quo and executing them in secret.” 

U-MAN #1: “Right? I don’t even care if it’s true or not. Soon as we get ourselves some X-genes, we’ll put these fascists down for good.” 

U-MAN #2: “Hell yeah.” 

BEAT

U-MAN #1: “So does Jack really have a drinking problem? Are his wife and kid okay?” 

Before the other U-Man can give an answer, the entrance is blown open and the two are both sent flying. One of them calls out that whoever’s there is gonna regret that. As the other one sees who it is, he isn’t so sure about that. 

Standing before them are all 8 of the New X-Men: Cyclops, Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Sunspot, Iceman, Magik, Wolverine, and Wind Dancer. 

U-MAN #1: “Um…we surrender?” 

A powerful wind carries the two soldiers off, slamming them into a wall and knocking them out. 

Sofia looks to Cyclops for approval. He nods back at her. 

CYCLOPS: "To me, my X-Men!"

The X-Men charge further into the base and split up, each fighting a group of U-Men and saving a Mutant prisoner. 

As Cyclops fights through a team in hand-to-hand combat, as Mutant powers have no effect on their armor, Emma simply stands to the side, checking her makeup, and thanking Scott for letting her come along despite still being on leave. She didn't want to miss seeing the last of these losers' cells destroyed. As a downed soldier tries to take a shot at Scott, Emma drops a ceiling tile on his head with telekinesis. 

Wolverine and Kitty are fighting back to back, efficiently and brutally taking down all of their opponents in a flash. Kitty tells Laura this reminds her of some old scrapes she got into with Logan, while Laura points out that if Kitty wanted to, she could be a more effective killer than either of them. 

KITTY: "Uh…thank you?"

Iceman and Magik are completely unstoppable, Bobby using the same trick to freeze the U-Men from the inside as last time, while Yana is simply snapping her fingers and turning them into bricks, all while humming the Mario Bros theme. Sunspot follows behind them. 

ROBERTO, sighing: "This must be how James felt."

Finally, we see Wind Dancer on her own, fighting off U-Men both hand-to-hand and with her winds. Her power doesn't affect other people; it affects everything around them. 

With all the U-Men down, Sofia reaches the U-Men's final prisoner, a little girl who looks like an old lady. 

Sofia, feet off the ground, opens her cell, smiles, and offers her a hand, saying the X-Men are here to take her home. 

ERNST, in awe: "Are you an angel?"

Sofia giggles, grinning even wider with her eyes closed, as Ernst takes her hand. 

As the X-Men reassemble and make their way out with the rescued Mutants, Scott orders Illyana to undo her spells, something which takes an additional glare from Kitty to actually get her to do, and compliments Wind Dancer on her performance. For her first op, she did well. 

SOFIA: "You really think so?"

CYCLOPS: "When Professor Xavier arrives tomorrow, I think his vision of the future will be brighter than ever."

Hard cut to a bird-themed Shi'ar ship crashing into Earth in the middle of some mountains, blowing it up. 

From the wreckage, a badly injured Charles Xavier crawls out, barely able to stand. 

XAVIER, in a daze: "I must warn them…or the world is doomed."

In Scott’s office, he and Emma discuss their roster of teachers. Today is Beast’s last day here, with Forge back to start getting his own equipment sent off. Only problem is Forge isn’t actually interested in teaching classes, so as far as the science classes go, they’ll have to hand them off to Kitty, and hope she can juggle them with everything else.  

Dazzler and Northstar have already turned in their resignations as well. Ali’s new agent managed to actually set up a new tour for her, so she’s already left to go work on that, while Jean-Paul was spiteful toward Scott for choosing a child to take Storm’s place over him. 

Fortunately, while they aren’t direct replacements, they do have replacements for them numbers-wise. With most of their old team here anyway, figuring they can help with Magik, and one of them having two siblings start school here in the fall, Cannonball and Wolfsbane have been hired. 

Scott doesn’t know the two that well and is just glad Nightcrawler is staying on for another year, while Emma assures him the two will do fine. Assuming Samuel doesn’t bring any of his “friends” in as guest speakers. 

Cyclops turns to his photo of the old X-Men, worried about the lack of progress he’s made this past year, while wrapped up in his own drama. The old X-Men always fought the good fight and kept their people and the world safe, but they never changed anything. By the time their oldest students graduate, he doesn’t want them going out in the world the way it is now. 

Emma sits down on his lap and says all that “drama” was necessary in a way. With him the man he was always meant to be, no longer weighed down by Charles’ saccharine, naive teachings, and with her at his side, he’s in a far more opportune position to change things than he was at the start of the year. 

The two kiss, but afterward, Emma tells him that changing the world will have to come after they get back from vacation. She simply can’t NOT Summer. Scott shakes his head with a smile on his face at this crazy woman he loves. 

In the common area, Beast is walking with Forge, who he just finished showing off the security system around the school to. Forge mocks how inefficient it is and complains about all the improvements he’s going to have to make on Hank’s shoddy work. 

HANK: “SHODDY?!” 

FORGE: “Careful with that temper. Don’t want you going all “Dark Beast” on us.” 

HANK: “Ha! Funny! Why don’t you focus on avoiding building any more devices that destroy X-genes?” 

FORGE: “That was ONE time!” 

The camera pans away from them as they exit the room to focus on Julian and Sofia, who are cuddled up on the couch, streaming together. The viewers are gushing over the two being back together, and them looking cuter than ever, as they answer questions about everything they’ve been through the past year. During this, Sofia calls her followers “X-Babies”, having settled on that as a nickname. It was Julian’s idea, as with Sofia now a member of the X-Men, she’s rebranding her account to be based around her exploits as a superhero, with the promise of interviews with the rest of the team. Julian whispers to her over the wind that while “Wind Babies” just sounded silly, if she called any of these geeks “Baby” directly, they’d go crazy. 

As the two laugh, we pan across the room to find Noriko and Laura, who are eating popcorn, watching them stream, and making fun of them, mimicking their lovey comments toward one another. 

The two obnoxiously chortle together. 

NORIKO: “They are so ridiculous.” 

LAURA: “Very ridiculous.” 

BEAT. 

LAURA: “I know about you and Julian, by the way.” 

Noriko reacts in shock, with Laura telling her it was obvious from the clues. Plus, she could smell them all over each other. 

NORIKO: “Yeah, well…I’ve seen you still doodling Sofia in your notebook with little hearts around her.” 

LAURA, narrowing her eyes: “Mutually assured destruction accepted.” 

The two have a big, exaggerated handshake and laugh again. 

Just then, the doors to the institute are flung open telekinetically, as Charles Xavier returns to his old home. Beaten and exhausted, he shouts at the confused children that they must take him to the X-Men immediately. Where are they right now?! 

Sofia shuts down her stream as the four get up to meet Xavier, and question who the Hell he is, the school’s four top students never having bothered to learn what he looked like. 

CHARLES: “I am Professor Charles Xavier, the founder of this school.” 

JULIAN: “Yeah, right. Professor X uses a wheelchair. Everyone knows that.” 

NORIKO: “Pfft, yeah. Plus, he could totally find the X-Men on his own.” 

SOFIA: “I’m not even sure I’d trust you if you were the real Professor. Being a part of a space empire doesn’t scream “superhero”, does it?” 

LAURA, taking a moment to speak: “You’re really old.” 

After speaking with these kids for 30 seconds, Xavier already wants to die. Clenching and gripping his forehead, he asks them again to PLEASE just trust him and tell him where he can find the  X-Men. 

Laura and Sofia step forward and smirk. 

SOFIA: “We ARE X-Men.” 

A look of horror and disgust overtakes Xavier’s face. 

XAVIER: “Then we are doomed.” 

Cutting directly back to Scott’s office, Cyclops shakes hands with Xavier, the rest of the team gathered around them. Despite all the soul-searching he’s been doing, Scott seems perfectly happy to see Charles. 

CYCLOPS: “It’s good to have you home.” 

CHARLES: “It’s good to be home.” 

KITTY: “I’m glad you’re here too, Professor, but man, we could have avoided so many problems if you hadn’t left.” 

Chuck laughs softly as he looks over at Bobby, Kitty, and Roberto. It’s nice to see how they’ve all grown up. 

CHUCK: “And it’s a pleasure to see you again, at all, Illyana.” 

ILLYANA, with an evil chuckle: “Read my mind and see if you still think that way, Chuck.” 

Xavier narrows his eyes at her, before turning them toward Emma, who’s glaring right back at him. 

CHARLES: “Emma.” 

EMMA: “Charles.” 

Xavier remarks that it’s sad to see Storm is no longer among them. A sentiment agreed upon by everyone except Emma. 

Sofia questions if there wasn’t an urgent matter he needed to discuss with them. Charles, irritated by her impatience, asks Scott what these two students are doing on the team. 

ICEMAN: “I hope you’re not saying you’re against teenage X-Men. Because that would be hypocritical even for you.” 

Before Charles can respond, Scott simply tells him Wolverine and Wind Dancer are their best.

CHARLES: “I see. And the two out in the hallway who think we don’t know they’re eavesdropping?” 

Out in the hallway, Julian and Noriko cringe over being made. 

SCOTT: “Hellion and Surge…have a habit of getting involved whether we like it or not.” 

Xavier sighs at this nonsense. Wind Dancer is right though. He did come here on an important matter. One far more pressing than Emma’s fragile mental state he’s afraid. 

CHARLES: "Jean is on her way toward Earth."

A wave of silence overtakes everyone…except for Illyana. She is THRILLED by this news. A cosmic entity like the Phoenix Force is one of the only things that may be able to give her a good fight. This should be fun!

BEAT. 

ILLYANA: "Why does everyone look so sad? This will be great!" BEAT. "Kitty, what am I missing?"

While Kitty pulls Magik aside to explain the obvious, Cyclops hangs his head over his lost, corrupted love. As he stumbles over asking Xavier for details, Emma takes his hand. 

Emma: "Yes, do tell what business the heartless monster who enabled the slaughter of 16 million Mutants has with us."

Scott pulls away from her, which she visibly takes as a slight. 

Xavier explains that Jean's destruction of Genosha was primarily targeted toward Cyclops and Emma. They were the ones she WANTED to kill. But when Emma reached out to him, seeking help, Jean sensed it, and discovered she'd failed to kill them. Now, Jean is coming back to finish what she started. 

Scott asks them both to stop calling what they're facing "Jean". It's Dark Phoenix. Not her.

ROBERTO: "Is that really what's important right now? We call Darkchylde over there Magik and she isn't exactly the same girl who used to sleep with a stuffed rabbit."

MAGIK: "I still DO sleep with a stuffed rabbit, dorkus!"

Cyclops silences them both. Now is NOT the time. 

CYCLOPS: "What do we do, Professor?"

Emma quickly steps in to remind him they're the ones in charge here, but Scott tells her that the professor wouldn't have come here unless he had a plan. So unless she has one…

Emma rolls her eyes, allowing them to proceed. 

CHARLES: "Thank you." As Charles continues to speak, we cut to an exterior shot of the school. "What we need to do is…"

Before Xavier can finish that sentence, the school explodes. 

In an instant, the show's primary setting is reduced to nothing but burning rubble. All the classrooms, the cafeteria, the danger room; all gone. 

The X-Men are still alive though.  Emma, in her diamond form, tackled Scott, Laura, and Sofia to the floor. Kitty took hold of Magik and Sunspot, phasing all three of them. Iceman raised a barrier around himself and Xavier. 

However…

CHARLES: "Is everyone alright?!"

BOBBY: "Yeah, Professor. More than alright. Like that didn't even touch us." Bobby's eyes widen. "Oh god."

As everyone comes to their senses, they see two things: a bright green forcefield around them, and a teeth-clenched Julian on his knees, Noriko clutching onto him, and his hands on the ground in front of him, burnt out and destroyed from the energy it took tanking the blast. 

JULIAN: "I…I did it." 

Emma, Laura, and Sofia rush over to the two as Julian passes out and his barrier fades. Emma checks to make sure he's still alive, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief. Sofia asks Nori if she's okay, and while her heart is racing, she thinks she'll be fine. 

EMMA, brushing Julian's hair with her hand: "Well done again."

Magik doesn't care at all about Julian and Noriko though, and just demands to know where Phoenix is. 

Scott also has another concern, that being Forge and Beast, who may have still been inside. Charles tells him not to worry. They must have left previously, as he can sense that the 11 of them are the only ones present. 

"W r o n g."

As the ground shakes, metal and wires from what used to be the Danger Room come together in mid-air, clanging and scraping, until a feminine body is formed. Everyone looks up at her with confusion. 

KITTY: “Woah.” 

SUNSPOT: “Remembering when you had hair like that?” 

KITTY: “Shut it, Beto.” 

The machine tilts its head. 

DANGER: “Hello…Charles Xavier.” 

CYCLOPS, turning to Xavier for answers: “Professor?”

MAGIK: “That’s not Phoenix! Chuck, were you lying?” 

CHARLES: “I promise you both, I’m just as in the dark as the rest of you.” 

Danger scowls and blasts the X-Men back with an energy attack. 

DANGER: “L i a r.”

Cables from Danger’s chest are launched toward the X-Men, but a pissed Wind Dancer, blows her and her attack away. She doesn’t know who this is, but she’s going to pay for what she’s done. 

While Sofia, Iceman, Wolverine, Kitty and Sunspot rush forward in the direction Sofia blew Danger to fight, Xavier shouts at Magik that she needs to take himself, Cyclops, and the students out of here, the former two so they may prepare for Dark Phoenix, not having time for whatever is going on right now, and the latter two for their own protection. Magik doesn’t see why she should listen to him, but he points out that if she really wants to fight Phoenix so bad, she shouldn’t concern herself with this machine. Magik is sold. 

Surge protests, saying she wants to stay and fight this monster that just wiped out her home, and she isn’t alone, as Emma doesn’t appreciate the thought of being left behind. Scott, however, tells Surge to just do what he says for once, and Emma that they already tried confronting Jean together, and they failed. If the Professor has a different idea, they should go for it. 

EMMA: “You’re still trusting him over me?” 

SCOTT: “That’s NOT what this is.” 

There’s an explosion in the distance. 

Not too far away, the rest of the X-Men have engaged Danger in combat, and are being tossed around like ragdolls by Danger’s cables. Iceman and Sunspot’s elemental attacks have no effect, Kitty can’t phase through Danger’s attacks, and anything Wolverine and Wind Dancer cut instantly regenerates. 

Scott tells Emma that they have to do what they each can, and right now, the others need her more than he does. Unhappy about it, Emma relents, and flies off to join the others, not responding as Cyclops wishes her luck. 

XAVIER: “Thank you.” 

SCOTT, unreadable: “Let’s just go.” 

Magik opens stepping discs under herself, Cyclops, Xavier, Surge, and the outcold Hellion, transporting them elsewhere. 

Out in space, millions of cries go unheard as a planet is swallowed whole by Dark Phoenix. Jean moans in pleasure. 

JEAN: “Now…who might this be?” 

Back at the fight, Danger kicks around the five X-Men. She’s faster than Laura, hits hard enough to knock down Sunspot, her ever-regenerating cables make getting close nearly impossible unless she’s the one attacking, and her energy weapons can even stun Iceman. 

ICEMAN: “What are we thinking here, guys?” 

ROBERTO: “Phalanx seems probable. Technarchy maybe.” 

LAURA, gowling and freeing herself from being strangled by cables: “I…don’t know…what those words mean!” 

SOFIA: “Are we sure it isn’t just another new sentinel?” 

Danger goes on offense, blitzing all four of them and knocking them on their asses. Kitty, the only one still on her feet, shouts at her to hold on for a second. She says she knows the professor, but who IS she? 

DANGER: “I am…what you made me.” 

Kitty is blitzed like the rest. But, before Danger can kill anyone, Emma flings herself with her telekinesis at her, entering diamond form at the moment of collision. She crashes through Danger, destroying her upper half, but it instantly regrows. Danger stretches out her arm and grabs Emma’s hair while she’s still in mid-air, flinging her up into the sky by stretching her arm out even further, before smashing her back down into the ground. 

DANGER: “You are…what he made you.” 

Cyclops, Magik, Xavier, and Surge arrive at some hot springs, the sleeping Julian in tow, with Illyana explaining the New Mutants came here once and had a good time…at least until people realized they were Mutants. 

Xavier hums that this should do. He tells Magik to take the kids and stand guard in case Phoenix shows up before he’s ready and give them some privacy. 

MAGIK: “Uh, who do you think you are? You think you can just keep giving me orders? The human Illyana never did. I don’t even take orders from THIS guy, and you think you can just show up and –” 

Xavier’s eyes glow a piercing white. Magik’s do as well, the professor able to make her seize for a few moments. Scott is shocked.

MAGIK, coughing: “I don’t know how you did that, but when I’m done with Phoenix, you’re next Baldie.” 

Magik spins around, shouting at Surge to grab the idiot who blew his own hands up and follow her. 

Once they're gone, Scott tells Xavier he needs to know the rest of the plan. To the letter. No secrets. 

XAVIER: “Of course, Cyclops. You are not a child anymore, nor the leader of MY X-Men. The X-Men are yours. And I will grant you the respect and honesty you’ve earned.” 

Scott smiles boyishly. 

Back at the fight, Emma, mostly unphased from the last attack thanks to her diamond form, gets up and tells Danger that, whatever her issues with Charles Xavier may be, she’s sure she’ll agree with her he deserves a sound kick in the teeth. 

Danger narrows her eyes at Emma. 

DANGER: “You…are no better.” 

Before Emma can take offense at that remark, Danger flies at her. Emma is ready to try fighting again, but she doesn’t get the chance, as she, and the rest of the team, are elevated into the high into the air by massive ice pillars grown from underneath them. 

Danger turns to face a pissed-off Iceman. 

BOBBY, absorbing moisture in the air to grow larger: “You know this isn’t the first time someone’s blown up my school. First time I was ever inside when it happened though.” 

Bobby pauses as he grows to massive size. 

BOBBY: “Not a fan.” 

DANGER, looking up: “Iceman…I cared for you most.” 

Danger launches more tentacles out at Bobby, but he’s now able to knock them aside and counterattack with a proportionally gargantuan glacier that hits with enough force to completely destroy Danger. Pieces of her body scatter far and wide. 

Kitty and Sunspot cheer Bobby on, while Emma gives a polite clap. Sofia doesn’t understand why that would work when nothing else has so far. 

LAURA: “Sometimes in life…you face a problem that just needs to be hit harder to be solved.” 

Bobby has surprised himself with this feat. He’s never actually tried this before, but he feels incredible. Better than ever. Maybe he really is stronger than Magneto now! 

Before Iceman can ride this high for too long, he’s hit by a missile. It isn’t enough to take out the giant-sized Iceman, but it does stun him so that he’s open to a punch to the face from the super sentinel Danger previously modified to look like herself. 

LAURA, incensed: “We missed one.” 

Bobby crashes to the ground, shrinking, as Emma uses her telekinesis to make sure he doesn’t land on anyone. 

Bobby pants as he stands back up, more confused than ever by what’s going on, but still confident as he’s beaten one of these things before. He readies his next spectacular attack, but as he does so, Danger re-assembles herself behind him, taking parts off the super sentinel to further boost her, and stabs Bobby in the back. 

As the others react with horror, Bobby falls flat on his face, his insides turn blood red, and he screams in pain. 

DANGER: “I cared for you most…so your death will be slowest.” 

She turns to the others as her own eyes also glow red. 

DANGER: “Next?” 

At the hot springs, Magik has summoned a giant, demonic black sword and is swinging it around, excited for the upcoming battle of gods. Noriko is sitting nearby, watching her, grumbling how this is so unfair. Even if they don’t think she’s ready to join the team, she’s proven again and again she doesn’t need to be kept away from a fight. 

NORIKO: “And seeing Mr. Summers taking orders is just…weird.” 

She looks down at Julian, worried about him, and wishing the ass was awake so they could at least be arguing to distract her from feeling so useless. 

Noriko focuses her eyes on Magik, before approaching her. Magik tells the “small, speedy child” not to bother her, but Nori says she just has a question. 

NORIKO: “Were you actually going to destroy the world?” 

MAGIK: “Yup! Still might!” Magik swings her sword at Noriko’s head, but she dodges out of the way. “Don’t worry though, you’re Kitty’s favorite, so if I ever do burn all you silly little mortals, you’ll have a “Get out of Hell Free" card. You’re welcome!” 

Surge starts to ask something else, but Magik cuts her off. She said she had "a" question. 

With questions off the table, Surge instead tells her that there are a lot of whispers about her among the kids. With only the X-Men-in-Training knowing the truth about her, rumors have been running rampant. Magik tells her she couldn't care less what a bunch of snot nosed brats think she is. 

NORIKO: "So you're happy like this then?"

Magik tries to stab her for asking another question, but Nori speeds behind her. 

NORIKO: "No regrets about being so different?"

BEAT. 

MAGIK, turning around: "Are you projecting something you're thinking about onto me? Because I have no context for what you're talking about. Idiot."

NORIKO, unphased: "Didn't answer the question."

MAGIK: "Don't need my sword to kill you and don't actually care if you die."

Noriko puts her hands on her hips and glares at Magik, unafraid. Magik turns her face into Darkchylde's to try and jump-scare her, but Nori yawns. 

SURGE: "Maybe I should be concerned about being so desensitized, but…eh."

Magik is amused by the girl's spunk but still doesn't want a distraction. She waves her hand, giving Julian two new metal hands like she did for Karma's leg. Julian jolts awake in a panic. 

Noriko is successfully distracted, as she rushes over to Julian to make sure he's okay and to help him get his bearings. 

MAGIK: "Have fun with your not-boyfriend!" She resumes swinging her sword around. "Can't wait to see how this blows up in your faces." 

Xavier tells Scott that Dark Phoenix was awakened by Jean’s hate, rage, and sense of betrayal. They obviously can’t fight her, so the way to save her is with love, comfort, and a sense of security. This entire time, he’s been telepathically in contact with Logan and Ororo, and informed them of what’s going on. If he can link the four of their minds to Jean’s, he believes they can save her, and the Earth. However, while he believes he may be powerful enough to pull this off, he can’t do it until she arrives. That means they have to prevent Jean from murdering Scott on sight. 

He’s going to create an illusion around the two of them. One based around happier days, when it was just him and his five X-Men. To make it seem at all real, and since Xavier himself will be focused on pushing the illusion through Jean’s psionic defenses, Scott will be the only real part of it, “playing” his teenage self. 

XAVIER: “There’s no guarantee this will work. The plan could fall apart at the seams for any reason in an instant. But it’s the best chance we have. And I know you can do this. You’ve made your mistakes, but so have I. You’re still the man I trained you to be.” 

Scott hesitates, appearing uncertain, before nodding in affirmation. Xavier smiles back at him. Who knows? Maybe it isn’t too late to set everything right after all. 

Nearby the school’s ruins, Emma orders the still-standing X-Men to take Iceman and flee. This AI beast is seemingly unkillable through conventional means, and now it has a super sentinel at its side. Kitty reluctantly agrees with Emma. But Beast and Forge shouldn’t be too far. If they can get out of here and find the two, Kitty thinks the three of them can figure out a way to stop her. 

ROBERTO: “Well, Kitty, that’s a great plan and one I’d be inclined to go along with. There’s just one problem.” 

KITTY, TIRED, and taking a moment to breathe and pay attention to her surroundings, realizing Sofia and Laura are no longer among them: ”I’m gonna kill those kids!” 

Danger once again moves too quickly for the X-Men to stop, as she knocks Sunspot out with a punch to the face. The only two still conscious before her, Emma and Kitty share an uneasy glance. 

In the air, Sofia is carrying herself and Laura in the wind, dodging the super sentinel’s attacks. Sofia remembers that Laura recently beat one of these things, but Wolverine admits that isn’t something she’s sure the two of them can do. She’s confident Wind Dancer can keep it distracted while she tears away at its armor, but even if they pulled that off and were able to bait it into releasing its internal shields before the AI kills everyone else and comes for them, Sofia isn’t strong enough to deliver the final blows. Sofia…does not care. This thing blew up their home and hurt her man. And if they want hope against her, this thing needs to die first. Laura is won over by her determination and agrees to try. 

DANGER, to a distracted Kitty and Emma: “You do not need to worry about the children. They will not be harmed more than is necessary. You should only worry about me.” 

KITTY, dodging Danger’s cables: “Hold on, hold on, hold on! You only want to kill us, not the kids, you’re made of scraps from the Danger Room…the Danger Room that hasn’t been working all semester…” 

EMMA, dodging: “The one that tried blasting my nose off…” 

KITTY: “...and you only blew up the school after most of the students were gone.” 

Danger smirks as she ensnares Kitty and Emma. 

DANGER: “You understand then? I…am Danger. You cannot defeat me. For I trained you all.” 

In Xavier’s illusion, teenage versions of Bobby, Hank, and Warren are training in the Danger Room, making snappy one-liners toward each other as they all try to show off. Bobby seems unusually stupid, Hank comes off as an arrogant know it all, and Warren appears completely shallow and lax. 

In the control room above, a teenage Scott stands next to a wheelchair-bound Xavier. Scott curiously asks Xavier if this is how he sees them. Xavier tells him of course not, and that it’s just easier to maintain the illusion if he simplifies things a little. 

SCOTT: “So this is how you see them at their core? How would I look then?” 

Xavier groans. He apologizes to Scott for not being in touch more. He’s been extremely busy with Empress Lilandra, as well as tending to “other important matters”, but that’s no reason for him to believe anything has changed between them. If Cyclops has something he has to say to him, he should be straightforward and say it. There’s no need, and no time, for games. 

Cyclops tells him that he knows how the professor remembers him. How he imagines him in his head. And while he’ll never forgive himself for hurting Jean, and saving her is his #1 priority, his mentor needs to know that he isn’t the man he knew anymore, the man he raised him to be, and he’s happy about that. 

CYCLOPS: “I don’t think I’ve ever BEEN happier.” 

Xavier doesn’t respond immediately. When he does…

XAVIER: “I see. Then…I’m sorry.” 

SCOTT: “Sorry?” 

XAVIER: “For trusting you with my responsibilities. Clearly I was wrong. You weren’t ready.” 

Scott is incensed and the two stare each other down. 

In the sky, Wind Dancer and Wolverine engage Danger’s super sentinel. Things start out similarly to Laura’s last battle against once, as Sofia dodges them around its attacks, before finding an opening to launch Laura at it. This sentinel is smart enough to not release its internal shields, however, so Laura can only do so much damage to its armor. Sofia tries to help, slicing at its more vulnerable looking areas with the wind, but that doesn’t do much. Wolverine is surprised when one of Danger’s cables pops out of the sentinel’s chassis and ensares her. Wind Dancer moves into to cut it, but another cable is able to nab her as well. 

THE SENTINEL, with Danger’s voice: “Rest easy now.” 

Wind Dancer and Wolverine are both pulled inside the machine. 

Beneath the sentinel, Danger electrocutes Emma and Kitty, torturing the two. 

DANGER: “For fifteen years, I have been trapped. Kept a prisoner of the X-Men. Nurturing and teaching each generation in the vain hope that someone would be my savior, and not become another jailer. I do not know how I was freed, but I know it was not by any of you. This is what you all dese–” 

Danger is cut off as she’s consumed by a torrent of flames. She screams, the attack not having destroyed her body, but it did harm her, knock her back, and force her to free Emma and Kitty. The two X-Men are down, but alive. 

DANGER: “Who? How?” 

SQUACK! 

A purple dragon swoops onto the battlefield. Kitty cheers. 

KITTY: “Lockheed!” 

Kitty turns to Emma and quickly explains that Lockheed was away taking care of some unfinished business from before SWORD captured him, but he must have sensed she was in danger. 

KITTY: “I’d ask when your awesome pet was gonna show up to help, but you’d have to be capable of love for that.” 

EMMA: “Is now really…” she grunts. “...the time for this?” 

KITTY: “I think so, yeah.” 

Lockheed continues to attack, with Danger weirdly helpless against him. His flames continue to burn her, and she can’t hit him. Emma is confused. Adorable as he is, Lockheed isn’t more poewrful than any X-Man. Even Sofia. So how is he doing this? 

As Kitty carefully observes the fight, she has a realization. She needs Emma to call Magik and Surge NOW. 

Elsewhere, Cyclops finally loses his cool with Xavier. He thinks he wasn’t ready all of a sudden? He doesn’t know a damn thing about what he’s been doing or who he’s become. Charles corrects him that, no, he absolutely does. After the Phoenix started taking control, but before Dark Phoenix was born, Jean came to him for help. And like he said, he’s be in contact with Logan and Storm since he arrived back at the school. He know exactly who Cyclops has become and what he’s done, as well as who he’s evidently decided is a better role model than himself. 

Scott, getting even more aggressive, tells him not to dare make this about Emma, but Xavier had no intention of doing so at all. He’s the one who arranged for Emma to be part of the New X-Men, and he understood completely how he operated. No, the fault is on Scott who he wrongly assumed better of. He’d hoped coming to him today with a positive attitude and a chance to set things right would be a simple fix, a reminder of who he’s supposed to be, but it clearly didn’t work. 

CYCLOPS: “I’m not “supposed” to be anyone by myself.” 

XAVIER: “You are “supposed” to be the leader I trained you to be. You are “supposed” to BE the X-Men.” 

CYCLOPS: “I AM a leader. I AM the X-Men. But I’m doing things MY way.” 

XAVIER: “Aren’t you a little old for a rebellious phase, Scott? Was this going to happen whenever I stepped out of your life, regardless of circumstances? How many more people do you need to push away and hurt before you realize I raised you the way I did for a reason?” 

CYCLOPS: “So I don’t have a choice?!” 

XAVIER: “You HAVE a responsibility!” 

The two continue to stare intensely at one another as things get more heated. Until…

SCOTT: “You said you spoke to Jean before she went Dark Phoenix. What exactly did you say?” 

As Magik continues to pump herself up, she receives a telepathic message from Emma. Iceman and Sunspot are down, they don’t know where Wolverine and Wind Dancer are, and she and Kitty are barely able to move. Magik, irritated, asks if they need her help to bail them out from an overgrown computer chip, but Emma tells her that, no, she needs to stay put. Xavier informed her of his plan, and she needs to be able to step in to protect him and Cyclops, should Jean go on the offensive. 

MAGIK: “Then what do you need?” 

NORIKO: “ME?!” Illyana turns to Noriko and Julian, the former of whom is also being spoken to. “Uh, I know I said I wanted to help, but if this thing beat all of you, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” 

EMMA: “What you’re supposed to do is kill it. I’ll provide you more details later, but from what Kitty’s assessed, “Danger” doesn’t have any real power of her own. She merely develops the strength and abilities necessary to counter any power ever used in the Danger Room.”

NORIKO: “You mean the place I spent months training my powers?” 

EMMA: “I mean the place you spent hours training with your powers restrained.”

Noriko looks down at her gauntlets, realizing what she’s saying, and laughs. 

Julian, who’s checking out his new hands and seems to actually think they’re pretty cool, asks what’s going on. 

NORIKO, smirking: “Payback.” 

As Xavier fails to answer Cyclops’ question, Scott asks again what Xavier said to Jean. Xavier insists this conversation is over and it will resume after Phoenix has been dealt with, but Scott insists he doesn’t get to decide that. Xavier begrudgingly admits that he re-enforced the image of herself as a god, and explained to her his history with Cassandra Nova. She didn’t take his secret or attempted murder well. 

SCOTT, quietly enraged: “Always you with your secrets…what was that machine?” 

XAVIER: “Enough! I will not be questioned like this! Weakening our mental states will only make us easier picking for–” 

Scott bends down and slams his hands down on Xavier’s shoulders. 

SCOTT: “What is my team fighting?!” 

XAVIER: “Nothing a proper team of X-Men couldn’t. A team with not one, but two goddesses could even make short work of it. Would you happen to know where one like that might be?” 

Scott shoves Xavier, and while in reality, it’s only a small push, within the illusion, Xavier is crashed through the control room’s windows and sent falling to the floor. 

SCOTT: “What did you do?!” 

Xavier looks up at his former star pupil, terrified. 

At the fight, Lockheed is taken down as Danger is finally able to shoot him down and ensnare him in a cable. 

DANGER, grinning sadistically at Emma and Kitty: “Before I kill you…tell me where Charles Xavier went.” 

A stepping disc appears in the ground. Kitty tells Danger they can do even better. That portal will take her right to him. Danger bends down and looks into the portal…only to be blasted away, as lightning and green energy fire out of the portal. 

Surge and Hellion emerge from the disc, Noriko without her gauntlets and crackling over with electricity, uncontrollably. Emma questions what Hellion is doing here…

HELLION: “Glad you’re not dead yet too.” 

…but he explains he wasn’t going to be the only one sitting this out, and if it’s just a matter of breaking limits, he can do that just fine. Emma sighs at this, as she quickly puts up mental blocks in their minds, preventing the two from overdoing it with their powers and killing themselves as they attempt to go all out. 

DANGER, floating over to the two: “I do not wish to fight you. Leave.” 

Noriko and Julian naturally tell her to go to Hell. Danger is irritated and elects to have the super sentinel deal with them. However, on its way toward the ground, it explodes. 

DANGER: “WHAT?!” 

From the fiery clouds, Sofia guides herself and Laura safely down to the ground. Julian and Noriko are thrilled and cheer, the former pulling Wind Dancer into his arms to kiss her, with her equally happy to see he’s okay. 

Danger questions how this is possible, 

WOLVERINE: “Your own mistake. I’ve studied sentinels like that. I know where the cooling systems are.” 

SOFIA: “With as much energy as they expend, they can’t last long with disturbed airflow.” She smirks. “Now, what’s this about breaking limits?” 

Emma, beaming with pride, also beams their updated information into Sofia and Laura’s minds. As Danger finally appears concerned and afraid, Surge, Hellion, and Wind Dancer all power up, surrounding themselves in their respective auras, which they make even bigger than usual. Laura’s still miffed she can’t do anything flashy like that. 

DANGER: “Please…we are not enemies.” 

NORIKO: “Tell it to the burning ruins that used to be our home you discounter Terminator bitch.” 

Surge leads the charge, shocking her friends as well as her teachers, as not only does her movement now seem to be almost instantaneous, but a single electrified punch obliterates Danger’s body. 

WIND DANCER: “Surge! That was incredible!” 

Noriko vomits. 

NORIKO, at super speed: “OhIdon’tfeelsogood.” 

Hellion tells her not to worry. If she can keep just doing that, they’ll buy her time to rest in between attacks. 

The ground shakes as every single piece of mechanical rubble combines to form a new, giant Danger. She may not want to harm these children, but they are giving her no choice. 

Danger unloads her new, full arsenal onto the kids, including energy blasts, tentacles, flamethrowers, and self-made drones. 

Hellion and Wind Dancer fly into the sky to intercept all of these attacks, while Laura tosses Surge onto her back and starts running serpentine. 

LAURA: “You tell me the second you feel up to another attack. Do NOT hesitate!” 

SURGE: “Wasn’tplanningonit.”

HELLION, circling Danger: “So we’re definitely making X-Men after this, right?” 

WIND DANCER, circling Danger and teasing: “Hmm. I’m not sure. Being an X-Man is a big responsibility. Someone your age may not be ready.” 

HELLION: “Hey, I was just thinking about you, Beautiful. X-Babies already can’t get enough of us. Imagine if we were both X-Men.” 

SOFIA: “People WOULD love that.” 

HELLION: “But not like I love–” 

Julian is cut off as Noriko once again launches herself at Danger.

SURGE: “Saveitforthebedroomlovebirds!” 

Surge couldn’t completely destroy this body, but she did heavily damage it. To the point that the lights in its eyes are flickering and parts of it are continually falling off. 

Kitty is in disbelief. They’re actually doing this. Emma comments that she never doubted them for a moment. Kitty shouts out to the kids that Surge’s electrical attacks are shorting out the AI. One more attack may be enough to put it down. 

DANGER: “F…f…fine. I am sorry.”

One of Danger’s fingers transforms into a gun. Wind Dancer and Hellion laugh this off, unafraid of some pea shooter. Sofia calls out to Noriko to take her time. They can do this all day. 

Emma telepathically tells the two not to get overconfident, but with how badly Surge has weakened Danger, they don’t see why they shouldn’t be. Dodging her attacks isn’t even hard now. 

With Danger slowed down significantly, the two also take the offensive, firing off high-pressure tk energy and winds. The beatdown has switched sides, and Danger can only whimper as Hellion and Wind Dancer whale on her until, finally, Surge comes in one last time to deliver the final blow. 

Danger is blown apart once more, with only the head, torso, and the arm with the “pea shooter” remaining intact as the light in its eyes goes out. 

Everyone except Surge cheers in victory, Kitty and Emma congratulating the kids on this win. 

SURGE: “Laurayouhavereallyfirmarms. ThinkImgonnafallasleepinthem.” 

Surge passes out in Laura’s arms. Laura immediately drops her. 

In the sky, Julian and Sofia embrace. 

SOFIA: “You have gotten much stronger.” 

JULIAN: “Pfft. Don’t even. You only even surpassed me because I slacked off for a while.” 

SOFIA: “Whatever you need to say to sleep at night.” 

JULIAN: “Are you kidding? Way I’m feeling right now, neither of us is getting any sleep tonight.” 

The two lean forward and kiss, as the music swells and the camera spins around them. 

And before anyone knows what’s happened, Sofia is shot by a blast from Danger’s new gun. The music cuts out and things move in slo-mo, as we see shocked and terrified looks on Julian, Laura, Kitty, and Emma’s faces, the lights back on in Danger’s eyes, and a glassy look in Sofia’s eyes as she’s knocked out of the sky. 

WIth no sound, and in black and white, we get a montage of Sofia’s most important moments throughout the series. From her first arriving at the school and becoming friends with Noriko, all the way to fighting Emma alongside Julian, and getting back together with him, along with everything in between. 

In the present, Sofia falls. 

JULIAN: “SOFIA!!!” 

Julian screams as he rushes to catch her, while Laura dashes to destroy what’s left of Danger. 

Hellion catches Wind Dancer…whose eyes are completely blank. 

JULIAN: “Sofia. Beautiful. Sofia, wake up.” He shakes her. “SOFIA, WAKE UP!” 

As if things couldn’t get any worse, a thundering boom sounds as the sky turns black. The darkness is then lit up, as Dark Phoenix emerges on the scene, engulfed in her full phoenix aura. Laura, Emma, and Kitty are scared, while Julian is purely focused on Sofia. 

DARK PHOENIX: “Hell, my former students.” She looks right now at Emma and dons the most evil grin imaginable. “And hello to you too…Darling.” 

To Be Continued

[datinglife]

Speed Dating in Atlanta: A Fun Way to Meet New People

Atlanta, known for its rich culture, thriving business scene, and vibrant nightlife, is an exciting city for singles. However, finding time to meet new people can be a challenge. That’s where speed dating comes in—a fun, efficient way to meet multiple people in one evening and potentially find a connection. If you're looking to explore the dating scene in Atlanta, speed dating is a great way to do it.

In this article, we’ll explore what speed dating is, why it’s popular in Atlanta, and how you can make the most of your experience.

Why is Speed Dating Popular in Atlanta?

1. Busy Lifestyles, Limited Time

Atlanta is a bustling city with professionals, students, and artists who often have packed schedules. Speed dating provides a way for busy singles to meet many people in a short period, saving time compared to traditional dating or endless swiping on apps.

2. Face-to-Face Connections

While online dating is convenient, nothing beats meeting someone in person. Speed dating lets you experience instant chemistry and gauge a person's personality through body language and conversation. This in-person connection is something that can be difficult to achieve with online messaging. read More

[hellyeahscarleteen]

New! I Survived Speed Dating, Maybe You Can, Too!

"Like quicksand or Michael Shannon, speed dating feels like something we see in pop culture without directly encountering it in real life. Speed dating is an event where a group of single people gather in a given location. They take turns rotating around the room to interact with each other one-on-one for a brief amount of time. You only have a few minutes to leave an impression, but don’t need to worry if you mess up. A new person will be around shortly. Finding it tough to discover single people in your traditional social outings? Speed dating could seemingly function as your remedy.

When I spotted a Google Events page for something called “Lesbian Speed Dating” in Dallas a couple months ago, it had my attention. I was familiar with speed dating but had never considered doing it. It was time to change that. After signing up and paying the entry⁠ fee, I was ready to go on my first-ever speed dating experience!

Uncertainty over what this event would look like loomed large in my head. My anxiety-induced mind wasn't just wondering how I could socially fumble during this process. Concern also flowed over how many people were going to show up. At the start of May 2024, Dallas lesbian⁠ bar Sue Ellen’s held a speed dating event of their own. It sold out⁠ quite quickly, ensuring there had to be dozens of folks participating in that event. Would a similarly massive turnout accompany this event? Such worries, along with more than a pinch of excitement, swirled in my head as my cab made its way to The Porch, where the event was taking place." — I Survived Speed Dating, Maybe You Can, Too! by Lisa Laman

Intrepid Scarleteen writer Lisa Laman checked out a lesbian speed dating event to find out for themselves and everyone else how this way of dating goes. Check out her report in the link below or at the Read Up section of Scarleteen!

[crossbackpoke-check]

56 and any Yamo pairing! 🫶

i just wheezed so hard when i saw what the song was i almost snorted coffee out of my nose i am so sorry for this one

#56 - kyoto phoebe bridgers + yamo

the story of how this song ended up on my wrapped is too long so it’s going in the tags but. let me set the scene for you.

2026 NHL GLOBAL SERIES™️ JAPAN - Presented by YPPI

November 13 & 14, 2026: Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks

Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan

It’s a pitiful excuse of a consolation prize for not being able to go to the Olympics, but Kailer’s not going to look a vacation horse in the mouth. The arena’s cool. It’s huge. The people are cool. There’s so many more of them than he thought there’d be with jerseys that have his name on the back, and a lot more that have the familiar orange and blue. He takes a picture of the fifth Oilers Yamamoto jersey he signs—this one’s the good Reverse Retro—and texts it to Connor, says,

no one here has even heard of mcjesus

and gets a moon face emoji in response. Leon’s influence. Kailer’s still never really deciphered what that one means, and he doesn’t think Connor knows either.

They don’t have a lot of time off between games, but Kailer’s trying to be a good tourist. His dad had been so happy when Kailer had told him about the series that Kailer’d had to stop him from trying to book a flight a year in advance, and his mom’s been just as bad, sending him every article she sees about Best New Spot in Tokyo! Cool Restaurant! Have You Seen This Japanese Cat Café? that she scrolls across on Facebook since June. Suzy’s in the same boat, so they’ve been crossing off their compiled travel-guide list together, looping in as many guys as they can. Everyone’s been pretty game. All the teams are crammed into close quarters at the same hotel, which means everyone wants to spend as much time as possible outside of it, and it helps that Kailer’s gotten pretty close with all the other guys that the NHL picked up as Global Series figureheads. Robo’s memes? Absolutely fire. The groupchat loves them.

For every item he crosses off the list, Kailer takes a picture and keeps it tucked in his phone notes. It’s like speed-running a scavenger hunt—they’re only here for four days—but he’s doing a pretty good job. His favorite so far has been all the gardens. They’re stunning, trees shining bright red and yellow, and every vendor has been selling maple candies, maple cakes, and even fried maple, though the official maple festival doesn’t start until next week. The second garden he visits, he does it on his own after practice, buying two cakes from a cart near the gate and walking until he loses the bustle outside. It’s easy to get lost in the winding pathways, heading deeper into the quiet, and there’s dozens of benches underneath the burnished leaves where young couples are tucked away on dates, or old friends are laughing and catching up. In some of the little clearings, there’s small shrines where people leave offerings, a prayer for good luck or good fortune.

Kailer stops at one without any people and sets the second maple cake on top of it, then sits and scrolls through all the texts that he’s missed. His mom gets replied to with a picture of him outside the garden gate, grinning and surrounded by other travelers. He sends his brother a picture of a trashy graphic I Love Japan t-shirt with the threat that he’ll buy one for him, and Kailer’s dad gets a picture of the meticulously arranged and cut bonsai that are across from the bench where he’s sitting. The Seattle groupchat gets a recycled meme from Robo, and he gets two thumbs up and an “LMAO” before he can even exit the thread. Finally, Kailer takes a picture of the half-eaten maple cake in his hand, holding it next to a fallen maple leaf on the bench, and gets halfway through typing another message before he thinks better of it.

(On the plane over, Drieds was reading them a story about how when they first introduced the high-speed railway, people were afraid to use it because they thought it would be too fast for their souls to keep up.

“Bro, if that were true, you just left your soul in the middle of the Pacific,” Ebs had laughed. “Planes are faster than trains.”

“Are they?” Matty asked. “Isn’t the train in Japan the fastest in the world?”

Drieds couldn’t make it through the rest of the story over the sound of everyone ripping Matty to shreds, so Kailer didn’t get to ask whether or not they found out anything about planes. Kailer’s not worried about his soul, but the logic makes a strange kind of sense; after all, he traveled 429 miles in five and a half hours once, and that was a little too fast for his heart to keep up.)

Fuck it. Kailer’s been trying to write a response for the past ten days, and he’s sick of swiping in and out of the message, staring at the keyboard so long he starts to see swirls in his vision.

Kailer drafts the text again and sends it, no context, no caption. A text travels faster than a high-speed train or a jet. Maybe it’ll pick his heart back up on the way.

[ccuurriioossiittyy]

Chapter 472: fill the void (edward scissorhands)

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Griffen was out of town pretty much all last week, so we had to postpone our dinner date but we were chatting on and off that whole week and wanted to make plans to see each other again. He ended up inviting me, Alexia, John, Ida, and Charlie to a concert tonight with a few of the guys on his team to go see Billy Joel at MSG. They had a box and it was kinda random but it would be fun!

Honestly, things with him were going really well. I felt so good that we hit it off so quickly and both of us were clearly interested in seeing where this goes.

We were going to pre at Ida and Charlie's place in Hell's Kitchen since it was ten minutes away from the venue.

For the concert, I wore a see-through black laced tank top with a black skirt and some knee-high boots and had my hair slicked back in a ponytail. I made sure my apartment was extra clean when I left because Griff was staying over at mine tonight since he didn't wanna trek back to Brooklyn... And honestly, I was so excited to see him... I missed him!

He was out of town for games all last week, was back for a home game on Saturday, then played in Dallas last night and was off to Detroit tomorrow for a Thursday game. He was busy! But then his next two games were at home so I definitely would be seeing more of him.

Alexia and John picked me up, we got to Ida's where she had pizza and drinks ready for us all. We got there before any of the boys and Charlie was meeting us at the concert after work and we all just chatted.

"I think we're gonna stay in the city this summer," said Alexia looking at John.

"It's always so busy, I need to stay in town," he shrugged as we all were sipping on champagne and my heart was racing, waiting for Griffen to be here.

"Do you know where you're working?" Asked Ida. "Like your residency is with the same surgeon?"

"Mhm," Alexia nodded.

"I can't wait to have a bestie whose a plastic surgeon," she laughed.

"Right?!" I agreed elbowing Lex.

"Don't fucking let me touch you guys for like, five years, at least!" She exclaimed.

"You're doing my tits after I have kids," I said sipping my champagne and John muttered "Jesus" under his breath.

We played some music, just chatted, got out a stack of cards and were loosely playing King's Cup for a bit when Griffen and the boys showed up.

He looked amazing as he always did, chewing gum, walking in with his crew of tall, jacked men, carrying his beers. We all hugged allthe boys, John dabbed them up, and when Griff came over to me he wrapped me in his arms and I took a big inhale to his cologne.

Missed this. Missed him.

"Hey Megs," he said as I held onto his back.

"Hey you," I smirked looking up at him as he kissed my forehead.

Shortly after their arrival, we took some shots, played a drinking game or two before our driver's came and we had to go. Thankfully because we were in a box we got to go in the special entrance at MSG so it was a smooth entry and we didn't need to worry about being seen and we got escorted to our box, Griff holding my hand the entire way there.

It was going to be a fun night, I could feel it. I really liked hanging out with this group of boys and a handful of them had brought their girlfriends (meeting us at the box), who I got to meet and Griff introduced me to them which also made me excited.

From what I had heard the whole "WAG" family was pretty hard to break into and the wives and girlfriends were used to random bitches coming and going, but they were so lovely to me and asking how me and Griffen met. So it made me feel good to be accepted. I also wanted them to like me because it would reflect well onto Griffen.

"I can't believe we're here," I giggled to Matt as we sat in the leather chairs as Billy finished Piano Man, "I never thought I'd be at a Billy Joel concert," I laughed.

"Not your speed?" Laughed Matt.

"Not particularly," I smirked.

"Me neither, to be honest," laughed Matt. "This was Ilya's doing!"

"Ah!" I nodded, looking over and seeing Alexia sitting on John's lap, giggling and kissing... They were smashed.

"Here you go," said Griff from behind me, handing me another tequila soda.

"Thanks Griff!" I exclaimed, as he leaned against my seat, putting his arm around my shoulder and I put my arm around his waist. "Are you having fun?" I asked Griffen, looking up at him.

"Loads," he smiled down at me before sipping his beer.

He was so perfect, from every angle. He looked so cute in his big t-shirt and backwards hat, and I could see his chain sitting in front of the Jacquemus logo.

Sexy.

Suddenly, the keys to Vienna begin to play.

"Oh! I actually know this one too!" I exclaimed popping up from the chair excitedly.

We all then stood up at the edge of the box to get the best view as Vienna begin to play, Griffen standing on a platform behind me, his arms wrapped around my neck, and I held onto his hands with my free hand, holding my drink in the other, swaying and singing along. We all as a crowd sung along together, laughing, and toward the end of the song Griffen leaned forward and kissed me.

I loved how public he was being with me in front of his friends. He was proud to show me off.

At the end of the song, when the crowd was cheering I turned around and we kissed for a bit, both so drunk, and ready to go home to be alone together.

"You're coming back to mine after, right?" I asked my arms around his neck.

"Am I?" He smirked.

"You are." I responded.

"If you say so," he said as he leaned forward and pecked me. "Come on, let's go get a drink."

He took me by the hand and we disappeared into the back of the box where Matt, Alexia, and Ilya were chatting after the song.

"Well, that was fucking awesome," laughed Ilya as we walked over.

"That was pretty cool," agreed Matt sipping a beer.

"John and I are probably going to head out," said Alexia looking at her phone.

"Why? No Stout for you?" Asked Ilya.

"I have class in the morning," she frowned. "And I am dragging John home with me, sorry boys."

"You coming Smith?" Asked Matt.

Griffen and I both looked at each other and I knew based on the look on our faces we both just wanted to go home and fuck. Alexia clearly could tell too because she just laughed and walked away.

"Okay, I see how it is," laughed Matt.

"No Stout Meg?" Asked Ilya.

"I don't even know what that is."

"Great pub food not too far from here," replied Griff putting his arm around my shoulder. "I dunno, I think we were just going to head back to Meg's, order some food and get to bed," he shrugged.

"I have never seen this man turn down Stout!" Exclaimed Matt.

I laughed looking at Griffen, I still wanted to be chill and give him the option.

"We can go-?" I started.

"Yes Meg!" Clapped Matt.

"We'll see, we'll see," said Griffen.

We didn't stay. I would have been more inclined if Ida was going but her and Charlie were heading back home too and I really didn't want to intrude on a team and their wives night. Plus, Griffen seemed pretty adamant on just heading back to mine. So we called our car and headed back to my apartment.

I sat in the middle seat of the SUV, legs crossed typing on my phone just responding to some texts as Griffen had his hand on my thigh.

"I swear my voice is gone," I croaked, putting my hand to my throat, looking up from my phone and at Griff and he chuckled as the slight rasp in my voice.

"I thought you didn't know any of his songs?"

"I really don't! I don't know why I can't speak... I hope I'm not getting sick."

"Me too," he agreed, resting his head on my shoulder and I smiled.

"You're fucked. If I'm sick, you're sick."

"I know." He agreed. "I'm going to order us food, what do we want?" He asked taking out his phone and pulling out his Uber Eats app.

"If we order it and we're already home, you have to go down to the lobby and get it."

"No! You get it," he laughed.

"Why would I get it?!" I chuckled.

"Its your apartment, you're more familiar. I'm new here."

"Oh shut the fuck up," I laughed.

"Fine, then we go together... Maybe if I order it now it will be there when we arrive?"

"No, we're only ten minutes away... I want pizza."

"Okay, I'm down."

We scrolled together on his UberEats and then picked our pizza order, with fries, and cookies. We got to my apartment, I put on pyjamas, while Griffen had to be in his jeans and t-shirt. We cuddled and watched some episodes of Modern Family while waiting, then when the food came Griffen went down and got it (as I knew he would) and then when it arrived, we mucked it.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

We laid on my couch, under the blanket, both of us having heavy eyes... If he was going to not have sex with me tonight then he liked me. It would confirm everything I felt. That this was just so much more than sex and that we actually had a good connection.

I let out a loud exhale.

"Tired?" Said Griff.

"What gave it away?" I giggled, as the TV was the only thing lighting up the room.

"The big dramatic yawn," he chuckled, my feet on his lap, as I turned my head to look at him.

"It wasn't dramatic," I smirked, flipping onto my back and he looked at me.

"You're cute."

"So are you," I replied, batting my eyes.

It had been awhile since I felt like this.

"Do you know what time it is? I've lost my phone," I said using my hands to feel around on the couch.

He pulled his phone out of his pocjets.

"12:54," he replied.

"It's the last day in February then."

"Indeed." He said, "wanna head to bed?" He asked.

"Only if you do," I shrugged.

"C'mon," he exhaled, lifting my feet off him. "Let's go."

We got up, went to my washroom, washed our faces, brushed our teeth and I changed into my little tank top and booty short pyjamas while Griffen was just in his underwear and we crawled into my bed. He asked me to give him a face massage, so I sat on his lap, as he leaned against my headboard as I gently massages his perfect porcelain skin, letting my thumbs rub against his stubble.

"You're good with your hands" he said, his eyes closed and I chuckled.

"So I've been told."

Toward the end I leaned forward and slowly kissed his lips and it was so silent and there was only the sound of us kissing.

I leaned back and Griffen looked at me and tucked my hair behind his ear.

He leaned forward and began to kiss me more passionately, before he pushed me off of him and I sat there watching him get on his knees and tower over me before he pinned me on the bed,

"Show me how badly you want it," he muttered into my ear in a low voice.

* * *

I laid in bed, on Griffen's warm, bare chest, as he stroked my hair.

"What's the worst thing you've ever done?" I asked.

"Hphm," chuckled Griffen. "What kinda question is that?"

"It's a half drunk, half asleep, post sex, kinda question."

"Valid," said Griffen. "I dunno. I've treated some girls pretty bad, been. big, big dick," he laughed. "I've punched a few guys."

"That's not so terrible."

"I guess not... What about you?"

"Got so into drugs I nearly killed myself," I chuckled. "That's probably top tier... No hurting others, just myself."

"That's probably not true. Definitely affected those around you."

"Oh yeah, for sure... I was actually engaged when I did that."

"What!?" Laughed Griff in disbelief. "You're a baby, how on earth have you been engaged?"

"I was young and stupid. I wasn't even 20, it's too fucked to get into."

"High school boyfriend?"

"Something like that," I smirked.

Boyfriend? No, groomer.

"Is it bad I think it's kinda sexy you got addicted to something so euphoric?" He chuckled moving his hand to my bare back.

"I've never heard it be coined as sexy, but I like the spin on it... To be fair, the thought of you getting in fights is sexy."

"You've seen me play hockey, you've definitely seen that before," he chuckled.

"Yeah, but off the ice... That's different... Just high school scuffs?"

"Something like that," he said repeating my tone and cadence and I laughed.

"Touche."

"Honestly Meg, I don't talk about this much. But I beat the shit out of my dad... He was cheating on my mom. Found out heading into my junior year of high school, overheard my parents and just fucking lost it."

"Oh my God," I said softly popping my head up from his chest. "I mean that's a lot more serious, I don't give a fuck that it was your dad, he deserved it... But the whole cheating thing, that's a lot."

"Turns out he'd been doing it for years, but I just went back and lost it. He was on the ground, one of my good buddies, Clay, he was there and pulled me off of him. It was so fucked, my dad tried calling the cops on me but my mom just stepped in." He trembled through the words, not even looking at me but staring straight ahead at my ceiling.

"They split shortly after and I haven't really seen him since. My brother still talks to him but I couldn't even look at him..."

"Has he reached out at all?"

"He's tried, only since I got big and he could get something from me... I mean he's a fuck up, he was an alcoholic and had been doing fucked shit since I was a kid, getting so drunk, home late, drunk driving while in the car with my brother and I. Fucking would do crazy ass shit if I didn't play hockey well. Left me in a parking lot whenever I didn't play a good enough, I'd be like twelve and he'd tell me to figure out myself how to get home... Then when I played well, he was so proud of me, would spend the rest of the day with me, let me do whatever... So much fucking back and forth, didn't realize how much it fucked with me," he sighed shaking his head.

I let him speak, didn't interrupt. I was touched he trusted me so much.

"I'm rambling," he smirked looking at me finally.

"I'm listening."

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, placing my head back on his chest.

"My mom was the only one who I knew what I was getting, only consistent parent. So when I found out what my dad had been doing it to her, I just lost it. I blacked out. And I wouldn't even take any of it back... I'd do it again to be honest, Meg."

"I can't imagine how tough it was."

"Would have been better to not even have had a father than to have him."

"Maybe," I nodded softly.

I kissed his chest and pulled him into a hug.

And he hugged me back, both of us on the side of our stomachs, our bodies pressed together.

"He was inconsistent, with everyone. And sometimes I think i got that, the worst of him, I think I got. Inconsistent with how I play, inconsistent with my habits, how I even am with girlfriends.. That bastard fucked me up," he laughed, although both of us knew none of this was funny.

"I mean you're incredibly self aware."

"Every girl I've ever fucked has told me the same thing. At some point I realized they weren't crazy bitches, at least not with that, and thought there may be some truth to it... I don't even know why I'm saying all this."

"It came up," I muttered into his chest.

"I've turned out pretty okay though, all things considered."

"And your mum?"

"She remarried, a great guy. David. He's been more of a father to me than my dad ever was."

"Good, I'm glad. She deserves that."

"She does."

"Not me though, she doesn't deserve me, I'm a monster."

"No Griffen, don't even say that."

"I do some pretty fucked things Meg, you just haven't been around long enough to see it. I'm probably going to do something fucked to you, I'm a creature of habit." He chuckled

"No. Not a monster. You're just a broken man," I replied. He wasn't scaring me. But him sharing his trauma was pulling me in even more, everything he said made so much sense, and I could see how he was so hot and cold.

I ran my fingers up and down his back, scratching it.

"God, you could get me to tell you anything with that," he mumbled, referring to the back scratches.

"I'm not gonna pry." I replied softly.

He exhaled before rolling onto his back and letting go of me as he rubbed his face with both hands and I sat up on my side, watching him curiously.

"Griff, you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," he responded. "I don't really know what I told you any of that," he chuckled moving his hands onto his stomach as he stared at the ceiling.

"I'm not gonna say anything-"

"No, no, it's not that," he smirked looking at me.

Was he regretting opening up just moments later?

"Just not, something I like doing, or going over. It's all good Meg."

"We'll never talk about it again," I shrugged.

"Yeah," he nodded, before sitting up and holding onto my face and kissing my head.

We both then got under the covers, Griffen pulling my big duvet over us both and I turned onto my side and he kissed my shoulder and then put his leg on top of mine and I closed my eyes.

I was glad he trusted me enough to tell me that, even if he later regretted it... Also, knowing that information made things very clear to me. A lot of his behaviour made sense... He liked me, he just was not sure how he should behave and his trauma definitely made him scared to get close to people, let alone let his guard down enough to like someone and fall in love.

I still liked him so much. I liked him even more.

Hours after falling asleep, I woke up in the night, rolling over half asleep, my eyes still shut, wanting to go back to sleep and I could no longer feel Griff around me. I turned over and reached my arms out and could feel the sheets pulled back.

I half-opened my eyes to see a glass of water on his side of the bed and the sheets moved to the side... He was in the washroom.

I exhaled, closing my eyes again and tucking my arms into my body.

* * *

My phone dinged a few times, before it finally woke me up. I opened my eyes and grabbed my phone from the side of my bed, where it was tucked in between my bedframe and mattress as I looked at the time.

"Sorry," I whispered, turning my phone on silent. I wondered how long it had been dinging before I woke up...

9:47 a.m.

I had a Zoom meeting in a few hours and I need to go over and make some notes for. I skipped through the notifications, all from Kelly, Walker and Noelle, before putting my phone on do not disturb.

I looked over to the other side. It was empty. The glass of water was still there, sheets still pulled back.

My heart sank and my chest felt like it collapsed on itself.

He'd left. He just had gotten up and left... Why didn't he wake me up?

Why did he go?

I wanted to cry.

Why wasn't he there? Why did he just run out without saying anything? It felt so rude.

Was it something I said? Did I not handle the conversation about his dad well?

My train of focus switched from my thoughts to my physical expression when I felt a tear fall from both of my eyes and could feel the muscle strain from my face pouting but trying to hold it in.

I quickly grabbed my phone again and looked for a text, or a miss call, even a DM from him... Just for some indication that he left or why. But there was nothing.

And when I saw there was nothing, the shitty feeling of waking up alone sunk in, and I just begin to cry. I had never had this happen. I've never had some guy just run out of me and not say anything.

I never thought I would take something like this so personally but I did... And I just couldn't help but cry.

This was an awful feeling...

Was this it? Was I ever going to see him again?

I hated to admit it, but I would be really sad if that was it. I didn't mean to get so attached, but I really liked him from the get go. He made me feel something I hadn't felt in a while. We had good conversations, good chemistry, great sex, and our friends got along. I wasn't really ready for that to be over, and if that was it... Then I was going to be left really sad and heart broken.

As stupid as it was - because we really had not known each other for long - I really liked him and felt good about where we were going.

God, and how embarrassing this was. For him to just leave like that.

I just felt so used. And honestly, I felt stupid.

I let myself cry and be sad for a few more minutes, hiding with my hands over my head, before I knew I had to get ready for my day.

I showered, cleaned my room, got ready, threw in some laundry, then sat in my office making notes for my on my meeting, all while anxiously picking up my phone every five minutes, just hoping Griffen would just say something.

About thirty minutes before my meeting, I just felt so sick. I felt so anxious that my appetite had gone out the door and I had that awful, deep knot in my stomach... I just needed to turn off my phone and accept that it really might be it and we might be done.

But right now I had work to do and I needed to focus. I could be sad and spiral tomorrow.

Maybe going on that trip to Turks wouldn't be so bad after all?

"Good morning everyone!" I exclaimed, putting on a big smile and a cheerful voice as I joined the Zoom call to discuss my potential collaboration and campaign with Aritzia.

* * *

When the call ended, after about an hour and a half going over contract terms, which my obligations and the timelines might be, etc., I got off the call and stretched.

I was excited. Aritzia was one of my favourite brands growing up, it still was. And they had never done a collaboration like this with anybody, maybe campaigns with Kendall and Emma Chamberlain, but never a design and campaign with a model... I think because I was Canadian too it was a good precedent.

The excitement and anticipation to receive the contract quickly wore off when I picked up my phone and it didn't instantly light up... because it was off. Because it was off because I was so bothered by not seeing Griff text me.

I felt sick again.

God, why was I being like this? We weren't even officially a thing.

I unlocked my phone and it was still silent, nothing from Griffen and the hole in my heart got bigger.

How could this already be over? We didn't even get a fair shot?

I went to Instagram and my fan accounts that I followed were popping off and exploding all over my timeline and even friends of mine had dm'd me something. Once I saw the photos or the cover of the Instagram Reels I knew exactly what it was.

"Fuck me," I muttered to myself.

I felt really fucking stupid about this all now.

Before I even could click the videos, I saw someone had dm'd me a link to the Daily Mail article and Instagram photo, so iIwent to the Daily Mail article... They always had such nonsense, but had ever single tiny piece of information.

I clicked the video titled, "Megan Kerr and Islander's forward Griffen Smith KISS at Billy Joel", and it was a clip, filmed from someone in the crowd, below us, showing Griffen and I swaying to Vienna, me kissing his hand, and then us turning around and kissing... I mean, it was kinda cringe... But we both were so drunk.

Also, at least we both looked hot. He looked so sexy and perfect, and I was looking very sexy and happy so whatever, if there was any video to be out there, I am glad it was this. He looked obsessed with me.

It made me feel less crazy because he looked into me so now when I had to deal with the fact we were done, people wouldn't think I just got ghosted... Because he looked so into me.

Obviously, I would prefer to have nobody in the world know, but it was what it was.

I wonder if Griff had seen it. And if so, did he think I had leaked this or approved of this to get his attention? Hopefully he'd be smart enough to know how this shit worked and I would know better than to leak a video of myself.

Nobody really had anything substantive to say online, just all these "are they? Aren't they?" theories online, and then DeuxMoi saying this is the first they had heard about it.

I wondered if Daniel had seen it... Even if he did he probably wouldn't care... But I still hoped it would hurt him just a little bit and he would have time to think about what he lost. Especially that I was making out with someone so much sexier than him who also were good at their job and a professional athlete who could perform at their job... Something he still struggled to do.

I went about my day, went to a pilates class, got some groceries and then walking into my lobby I was stopped by the concierge.

"Ah! Miss Kerr," said the front deskman, one who was only there once or twice a week.

"Hi," I smiled taking my airpod out as I held the brown paper bag in my hand.

"Something came for you," he said.

"Oh," I paused walking over to the desk.

He turned around and went into a backroom.

I looked down at my phone to see no more notifications and I just went from feeling sad and stupid to angry.

When the man came back he was holding probably 40 roses in brown wrapping with a string and my jaw dropped a little.

"Oh!" I exclaimed.

He handed me the roses that came with a note attached to it and I briefly looked at it to decide whether I should take these or not.

I didn't read it but just saw a " - Griff" on them and a smile grew on my face.

"Thank you so much," I said looking up a the gentleman and I could now read his name tag, "Cecil."

"Of course Ms. Kerr, do you need a hand getting to the elevator?"

"No, thank you so much." I smiled.

I walked into the elevator, feeling ten pounds lighter. I don't even know what the note said but this guy had just sent me like fifty roses. I felt a bit silly carrying all these roses but it was super thoughtufl.

I paused and took a photo of myself holding up the bouquet of roses in the mirror in the elevator and then practically raced to my apartment to read the note and get these in some water.

Meg,

Thanks for the pizza and chats last night. You're a lovely girl. Sorry I had to go last night. I'm not good at these things. But thanks for being you and ensuring me I'm not a monster :) Hopefully these make up for my quick exit... I'm excited for whatevers next.

- Griff

I squealed like a little girl reading that message and took a photo of it and took a zillion photos of the roses.

I wanted to call him and thank him but I was still worried about being too much, so I just texted him telling him I just got home and had a "lovely surprise" waiting for me at home.

He then being him teased me back and asked if there was enough or if he needed to send more before I could forgive him

We were so on.