#Ellie gives John grey hair

[tanglepelt]

Dc x dp idea 32

Danny collects johns soul constantly to force him to babysit Ellie. Danny fully expects him to keep selling his soul afterwards. Every time he does he lets Ellie loose. Give Danny paperwork John gets a gremlin.

[cherrylng]

Bad Taste Fashion!? [STYLE Series #004 - Muse (August 2010)]

Be more outrageous, or be stylish! Learn the secrets of extreme fashion from the pioneers of the UK rock world

Text: Yoko Shintani

In 2009, Muse became a regular at music events. They have been lauded everywhere, from the Q Awards to BRIT, where they won the prestigious “Best Artist in the World Today” award, to being listed as one of the nominees for “Worst of the Best.” The problem was, of course, Matt Bellamy's fashion sense.

Although he narrowly missed out on the award, he was in the running for “NME Awards' Worst Dressed” along with Liam Gallagher, Ellie Jackson (La Roux), and Katy Perry (the winner was Lady Gaga). While his love of fashion is evident, both on stage and in his personal life, his taste is risqué . His taste for light, red, white, or high-contrast coordinates such as red and white or black and white, tailored jackets, uniform designs, sporty and cyber-inspired details, and thoroughly super-slim shapes……. None of these tastes are weird on their own, but when they all come together on a matte canvas, they present a strangely strong and cloying bad taste, which is a sad state of affairs. Incidentally, at the “NME” Awards ceremony, he wore a black-and-white polka-dot shirt, a silver-grey suit, and a hot black-and-white tweed coat over it. He must have really liked it since he wore the same coat to last year's “Q” Awards ceremony. However, wearing the same coat twice at an awards event is a total no-no.

However, the British rock scene, which has been led by art school graduates, has always had a taste for the kind of sleaze that makes it impossible to determine whether it is stylish or grotesque. Looking back over the past 40 years or so, it goes without saying that the 70s stand out in terms of sheer eccentricity and ferocity. With glam rock and the two stars of the scene, Marc Bolan and David Bowie, the boundaries between men and women quickly blurred, and all the rules of Western male dress were broken down, with hair and makeup becoming completely unisex. Bowie, in particular, actively collaborated with Kansai Yamamoto and other designers to create an even more out-of-this-world image by playing the fictional character “Ziggy Stardust.“ On the other hand, in Roxy Music, which was also a leading glam rock band at the time of its debut, it was not frontman Bryan Ferry but Brian Eno, who was in charge of synthesisers, who experimented with outlandish fashions.

“Dom and Matthew at the NME Awards ceremony on 24 February 2010. While Dom is neatly dressed, Matthew wears a tweed coat with a slightly different length and broader shoulders, a half-size grey suit, and a polka-dot shirt that is out! The magnetic necklace-like chain and the Aki at the collar are also out of step with current trends. The coat seems to be his favourite, and he wears it to the Q Awards ceremony as well as when travelling to and from the Big Day Out. His hair is a bit flat, and his shoes are a bit off-putting, giving off a sense of carelessness but also a strong sense of commitment. pic: Dave Hogan / Getty Images”

He wore a kimono-like dress that would put Bowie to shame, or was adorned with feathers and lamé, and stood on stage in a manner that is hard to imagine from his recent appearance as a master producer. Speaking of unimaginable nowadays, Peter Gabriel of the Genesis era, who belonged to the progressive rock music genre, was another example. He borrowed his wife's long dress and other outlandish costumes from the neck down, but his head was particularly striking, and his “flower” costume with flower petals surrounding his face is perhaps the most famous. Other than that, he was also good at wearing alien makeup that looked like it came out of a sci-fi movie, or wearing a stuffed fox's head on his head……

Another person who should not be forgotten is Elton John. Although Elton John has come out and is now enjoying dressing up openly, at the time he was venting his repressed sexuality in a fashion that was a comical interpretation of glam. And Queen, who had a huge influence on Muse musically, reigned as the leader (!) of rock fashion in the post-glam era. The late Freddie Mercury, in particular, tried his hand at many risqué styles, such as jumpsuits, ballet tights, bare-chested and sleeveless, etc……

Later, with the rise of punk, UK rock once again became stoic, but regained its splendour in the 80s. The New Romantic & Goth era had arrived. Although the two groups have contrasting tastes in colour, with the former using extreme colours and the latter monotone, they share the same androgynous fashion orientation, with glam rock as their main source of inspiration. From Culture Club and Adam & the Ants to Siouxsie and the Banshees and Alien Sex Fiend, each eccentric artist heralded the end of the century. The visual and sonic tastes of that era are, as we all know, undergoing a major revival, with young pop stars such as Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga, KE$HA, and others all looking to Bowie, Queen, and Boy George as role models. Without them, the world would be a very boring place!

Therefore, Matt's bad taste is also adorable when you look down the lineup of UK rock's most eccentric dressers. And in his case, it is his personality, the reset, the lighting, and the music that is the star on stage, not what he wears that matters so much to his fans. And yet, the discrepancy between Muse's musicality and his solid character, which lacks femininity or campness, and his glittery, watery clothing is truly bizarre, and what's more, the sparkly glitter is also extremely half-baked. The clothes show an extraordinary attention to detail, but the makeup is a complete waste of time, and the haircut is a bit careless. If you are going to do something like this, go for a Freddie-style fashion like Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, or go all out with the long hair and dreads, or paint your face like Peter Gabriel, or work with an interesting designer to provide futuristic costumes that synchronise with the stage direction, go Freaky and go for it. Then we won't be bothered by petty discussions about the worst-dressed. Or hire a competent stylist to help you find a simple suit that suits you. In the meantime, even though Freddie loved it, red-and-white coordination is too difficult and should be avoided. I'm probably not the only one who irresistibly thinks of the uniforms of the Japanese Olympic team……………….

This is the rumoured ‘Flower Man’, Peter Gabriel's stage costume from his time with Genesis. It's funny because he was very serious about it. After leaving the band in 1975 and going solo, he became very ordinary.

Brian Eno at the time he was in Roxy Music. His forehead was rising, but he wore a lot of make-up and wore his hair long. All of them wore flamboyant outfits with spacy decorations on their shoulders, etc.

Sir Elton John, who now wears an ordinary suit and flashy tie, used to take the world by storm with his huge ornate glasses and flamboyant outfits. He is a drag queen in every sense of the word!

Freddie Mercury, the king or queen of the bizarre = Queen. The familiar full-body tights costumes were originally designed by Zandra Rhodes. From kimono-style dresses with a daring take on Japanese kimonos to cross-dressing, you name it! pic : Koh Hasebe

Adam and the Ants' Adam Ant pioneered the New Romantic movement of the 1980s and stole the hearts of girls. His unique ‘pirate fashion’, with its elaborate hair and make-up, was imitated by his fans.

Translator's Notes: I do find Matt's taste in fashion to be... quite interesting at times. But in all honesty, I'm neutral to his fashion tastes, given that I use his clothes, accessories, and even his hairstyle to pin down on the correct eras whenever I reblog Muse posts lmao

And also, Freddie's fashion is always 150% fierce AF. As for Adam Ant, him looking like a slutty pirate trying to seduce the Royal Navy to chase after him is just his default appearance since the 80s.

[stephlynndrawings]

Winter palace ballroom outfits, anyone???

The Inquisitors and their Heralds designed their own outfits with the help of a trusted seamstress (She owed Madame De Fer *and* Sister Nightingale a favor)

Close ups and extra information under the cut!!

Inquisitor Mahannon Lavellan:

He originally had his hair slicked back with oil that Leliana and Josephine borrowed from Cullen, but by the time the inquisition made it into the ballroom, his hair had been messed up (Sera had messed it up on purpose and Iron Bull messed it up on accident- Later on Dorian messed it up on purpose)

The clover pin on his clover is based on the nickname Varric gives him: Clover (based on his eyes and his crazy luck)

The trim and shoulder fabric were embroidered by the seamstress, hence the solid lines, whereas the rest of it was embroidered by Mahannon himself (with some help from his cousin and the Rosegrass gals)

Inquisitor Ellana Lavellan:

She REALLY didn't want to be wearing a dress, but everyone in the inner circle said she looked lovely in the dress she was offered to try on and she didn't want to disappoint them

Her hair stayed in a bun the entire night, something she isn't used to. She got a headache by the end of the night.

She chose blue to cue to the fact that she was dating Blackwall (grey wardens wore blue so she thought it was a touching tribute)

The flower at her ear is a Lily- based on Varric's nickname for her. The seamstress chose the color of flower though.

She did almost all of her embroidery since she wanted it to be subtle, unlike a certain cousin. (and a certain Bosmer)

Herald Elruin Rosegrass:

She stepped out of her comfort zone by wearing more cold-toned colors (which shocked several members of the inner circle)

The flowers (and berries) are St. John's Wort: a plant often used to heal and help mental illnesses (she would of chosen a different flower but the Seamstress thought it complimented her eyes) ((Yes I am aware that St.John's wort isn't lore friendly with either Elder scrolls or Dragon age, but it's pretty))

The beads on her necklace were commissioned by the inner circle once they heard about Elruin's husband and children back on Tamriel (and after seeing how homesick Ellie was getting). Each bead matches the most commonly worn color of each member of her family.

Herald Wylarin Rosegrass:

She designed several parts of her outfit to be removable so she could go off and do some espionage if Lelliana asked her to.

She also has slits in her dress so she can reach the vials of poisons and tiny daggers strapped to her thighs.

Her mask has two pins that double as daggers and her gauntlet bracelets have hidden blades in them that pop out if the hand is flexed a certain way.

The flowers and berries on her are nightshades. The seamstress heard she was one of Lelianna's spies/assassins and thought it'd be funny to have a cheeky and innocent nod to her status.

Wy did all the embroidery on her dress, and also did some embroidered runes on the insides of her dress and the other outfits to protect each of them from stains and tears.

When she said she wanted yellow in the majority of her dress, several members of the circle were completely blindsided since she normally wore muted colors or greens.

Her tattoos are covered in a makeup powder specially made for her skin color

[watercolor-rainclouds]

long ass post about the original designs of my ocs (these are only the ones i've redesigned later, also not 100% accurate to the original designs because picrews have their limits but i was too lazy to draw them lol)

valerian (rian) started as john. still a vampire but with a whole different skin tone and everything. he used to look so boring omg. also at one point i almost cut him out of the whole story but instead i ended up changing him so much im not sure if it even counts as a redesign anymore lol.

mirabel was always named mirabel years before encanto came out and at the time i didnt know it was an actual name lol, originally as a nickname of miranda isabel but now it's just her actual name. also she was always a fairy, but once again her whole appearance changed (except her style). also her "theme color" went from pink to yellow, only because i wanted the six most important characters to make up a rainbow lol.

olga started as jane. she remained pretty similar except i got rid of the bangs and gave her shorter hair. i think i also made her taller but its hard to tell because my ocs used to not have set heights/height differences because i never drew them. once again, her power (shapeshifting) stayed the same, just like everyone else's.

i've mentioned this a lot i think, but ari started off as a boy (thats the backstory of why i made her trans). her appearance didnt change too much more than what transitioning would change about her. i gave her glasses back when she was still going to be a guy, but originally i dont think she had them.

and finally, lynn. her appearance didnt change a whole lot actually, but her role did. shes still an important character but she was originally going to be the protagonist. (also, i mostly draw her grey/posessed version but she has light brown hair normally). her name spelling kept changing between Lyn and Lynn, but i settled on Lynn. at some point i also gave her vitiligo but it's not visible on her grey version because all color is basically sucked out of her. when shes her regular self, she does have it though (unless i forget to add it while coloring her because its really hard to remember what details i kept vs what i didnt, but she is supposed to have vitiligo, so feel free to beat me with a stick if i draw her non-posessed version without it).

the last one of the old main cast would be edward but all i changed was give him glasses, and i made him way less important to the story. he got replaced by ellie as a major character because ellie had a lot more personality at the time. also, lynn got replaced by kiara who didn't even exsist originally. i drew kiara during a class one time and i liked her design so much i wanted to add her to this story, and lynn felt boring so she got replaced by her.

all of these ocs were originally inspired by the appearance of people i saw irl (as most of my ocs are), but the redesigns thankfully made them a bit more unique.

also its kinda funny because one could say my current oc lineup is "forced representation" (which is stupid, yes, but one could say this shit) but actually it was completely accidental. like i individually redesigned all of them, i didnt even have the other characters or the goal of representation in mind lol. like i made mirabel fat at one point "because why not", and then happened to get inspired from a black girl's tiktok so i made her black as well. like i just kept adding things to each of them until it felt right, and i accidentally ended up with a diverse and fun to draw cast of characters. and like i was already planning to make ari and olga a couple, so when i changed ari to be a girl i just decided to make olga a lesbian (ari was already bisexual before i even made her trans, so i didnt need to change anything about her). and then it was like "what if ellie has a gf? and what if its kiara?" (ellie has also always been bi) idk how it took me so long to realise im bisexual when i kept making my favorite ocs bi lol

so yeah. thats it for the embarrassing original designs of my main ocs. they look much cooler now because i got better at drawing people but i think its interesting/fun to look back to where i started

[ivycovehq]

welcome to ivy cove, cc! we can't wait to meet maude ivory baird, ygritte, johanna mason, ahsoka tano, jean grey, neytiri te tskaha mo'at'ite and astrid hofferson. please make sure you read through the checklist and send in your account within 24 hours!

( cc, she/her, 25+, gmt+2 ) woah! was that MAUDE IVORY BAIRD walking down main street? i heard they’re not actually from ivy cove but come from THE HUNGER GAMES/TBOSAS. they’re 22 and live in RADIAN HILLS, but watch out because they can be NAIVE + IMPULSIVE but are actually CHARMING + CONFIDENT. despite them HAVING memories, you’ll always think of BEING ABLE TO REMEMBER EVERY TUNE AFTER ONLY HEARING IT ONCE; BEING THE FAVOURITE OF THE CROWD WHEN PERFORMING; BLONDE STRANDS OF HAIR FLOWING IN THE WIND; OFTEN PUTTING THE WELL-BEING OF OTHERS OVER HER OWN when imagining them. / ellie bamber, she/her

( cc, she/her, 25+, gmt+2 ) woah! was that YGRITTE walking down main street? i heard they’re not actually from ivy cove but come from GAME OF THRONES. they’re 2& and live in CORDOVA GROVE, but watch out because they can be SARCASTIC + BLUNT but are actually BRAVE + SKILLED despite them HAVING memories, you’ll always think of BEING PRETTY SKILLED WITH BOW AND ARROW, LIVING A ROUGH LIFE IN A ROUGH INVIROMENT, BEING PERFECTLY ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF HERSELF; GOING TO JUST DO THINKS INSTEAD OF SITTING AROUND LAMENTING ABOUT LIFE; HIGHLY VALUING HER FREEDOM AND BEING ABLE TO GO WHEREVER SHE WANTS when imagining them. / rose leslie, she/her

( cc, she/her, 25+, gmt+2 ) woah! was that JOHANNA MASON walking down main street? i heard they’re not actually from ivy cove but come from THE HUNGER GAMES. they’re 28 and live in CORDOVA GROVE, but watch out because they can be RUTHLESS + VICIOUS but are actually CLEVER + UNAFRAID despite them HAVING memories, you’ll always think of A SHARP AXE FLYING THROUGH THE AIR; ALWAYS SAYING EXACTLY WHAT SHE THINKS TO BASICALLY EVERYONE; NOT GIVING MUCH ABOUT AUTHORITY OR RULES; GIVING THE IMPRESSION SHE IS ACTUALLY DIFFICULT TO GET ALONG WITH; HAVING QUITE A TEMPER AND GETTING FRUSTRATED EASILY WITH OTHER PEOPLE when imagining them. / hannah john-kamen, she/her

( cc, she/her, 25+, gmt+2 ) woah! was that AHSOKA TANO walking down main street? i heard they’re not actually from ivy cove but come from STAR WARS. they’re 30 and live in SHOREGRAZE RIDGE, but watch out because they can be RECKLESS + STUBBORN but are actually LOYAL + KIND-HEARTED despite them HAVING memories, you’ll always think of A BLUE LIGHTSABER SLICING THROUGH THE AIR; OFTEN STRUGGLING TO FOLLOW ORDERS DESPITE BEING A JEDI; NOT DEALING WELL WITH WHOM HER FORMER MASTER TURNED INTO; REALLY JUST WANTING TO DO THE RIGHT THING when imagining them. / zoë kravitz, she/her

( cc, she/her, 25+, gmt+2 ) woah! was that JEAN GREY walking down main street? i heard they’re not actually from ivy cove but come from XMEN/MARVEL. they’re 24 and live in FULTON PARK, but watch out because they can be UNSTABLE + VENGEFUL but are actually RESOURCEFUL + POLITE despite them HAVING memories, you’ll always think of NOT ABLE TO FULLY CONTROL HER ABILITIES AND THEREFORE BEING A DANGER TO OTHERS; FULLY AWARE OF PEOPLE BEING SCARED OF HER; HER OWN PARENTS INCLUDED; BEING INFLUENCED EASILY BECAUSE OF DESPERATELY WANTING A PLACE TO BELONG when imagining them. / sophie turner, she/her

( cc, she/her, 25+, gmt+2 ) woah! was that NEYTIRI TE TSKAHA MO'AT'ITE walking down main street? i heard they’re not actually from ivy cove but come from AVATAR. they’re 26 and live in SHOREGRAZE RIDGE, but watch out because they can be PREJUDICED + WILD but are actually FEARLESS + LOYAL despite them HAVING memories, you’ll always think of ALWAYS DOING EVERTHING TO KEEP HER PEOPLE AND HER WORLD SAVE; NOT TRUSTING MOST THE SKY PEOPLE EVEN WHEN TRUSTING JAKE; HAVING A STRONG RESPECT FOR NATURE AND ANIMALS AND NEVER THINKING TO PUT HERSELF ABOVE THEM when imagining them. / Tanaya Beatty, she/her

( cc, she/her, 25+, gmt+2 ) woah! was that ASTRID HOFFERSON walking down main street? i heard they’re not actually from ivy cove but come from HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON. they’re 23 and live in RADIAN HILLS, but watch out because they can be SHORT-TEMPERED + IRRATIONAL but are actually BRIGHT + DEVOTED despite them HAVING memories, you’ll always think of OFTEN BEING JEALOUS AND SUSPICIOUS; NOT REALLY HAVING MUCH OF A CHILDHOOD BECAUSE OF TRAINING TO BE A WARRIOR ALL OF THE TIME; PEOPLE OFTEN UNDERESTIMATING HER BECAUSE OF HER PRETTY FACE when imagining them. / freya allan, she/her

[binch-i-might-be]

I literally had to get up and walk around the kitchen for this okay okay

remember how I said I headcanonned Rachel as a lesbian...so ofc my mentally ill brain said "hmm...we can't leave it at that! we gotta give her a girlfriend!"

Anyway, her name is Isabelle Vennings and I only realised later she looked (in my mind) like a child of Athena (iykyk). She has blonde hair and grey eyes. Isabelle is a lesbian with an epic sense of style. Ellie is the first one to find out about them and she's just like "oh. oh alright then. do our parents know?" Because you know safety concerns and shit.

She ends up running away from home because unfun parents and heterosexual marriage pressure and goes to live with her cousins. There is some queer shit going on there too and like...is her cousin's flatmate just that 👀 Anyway they agree to keep her. That's where she meets Rachel. I'm not quite sure of the details there yet but we'll get there.

Rachel calls her Iz or Izzy btw. Very important information. All in all, Rachel's family likes her and she's a nice girl who deserves happiness

My little heart gets so happy thinking of them in a modern AU. They meet at a science fair...I mentioned I hc Rachel as a science kid right? They were all supposed to give out these stickers to everyone who visits their stalls but that proved kind of hard for Rachel who kept on staring at the blonde girl with the physics model. (the sticker part is inspired by the annual Computer, Science and Arts exhibition that takes place here. I miss it now...FUCK YOU COVID-)

Ahem.

uh yeah that's really it...she's just a little brainchild I birthed.

this is all based on the little headcanons I made so like...yeah! sorry if it's all weird

iconic of you!

BUT YES ACTUALLY WE GOTTA GIVE HER A GIRLFRIEND

oh my god. Isabelle and Rachel....... Rachel and Isabelle.....

YES ELLIE FINDS OUT OMG 😭

ahhh she would be the most supportive and yet protective older sister 🥺

ohoho a gay little roommate situation! we love to see it!

no but actually I need to know more about her relationships with the rest of the family!! are John and Alex just like "it's a free daughter :-)" or what! (also may I propose that Isabelle and John form a wholesome little bond based on both of them having fled a toxic home environment to find happiness somewhere else and make their own family in the process)

nooo that's so cute 😭 a little science fair crush 😭

in conclusion. I love her and thank you for your service!

[astheskyisblue]

Chapter One: Brielle's P.O.V.

Author's note: Hi! I'm Sky! This is the first chapter of my W.I.P. Of Sunflowers and Rose Thorns (working title) If you see this, maybe reblog or leave a comment or a note! It would mean a lot :3

___________________________________________

"Now Girls, remember don't let your makeup run and listen to your teachers! That means you, Aria! I don't want to start the year off with a call home, alright?" Aunt Meredith swung around in the car. "I mean it."

"Yes, ma'am." Aria mumbled, barely looking up from her phone. She'd been texting the entire drive.

"Don't mumble. You know how I hate mumbling. Confident young women never mumble, it shows weakness." Aunt Meredith always gave us valuable advice, she was full of it.

"Yes ma'am." Aria projected, straightening up.

Aunt Meredith smiled, "Good. Now, have a great first day at school! You're going to be high schoolers next year, I can't believe how fast you two are growing up."

I smiled and hugged her before getting out. "We will, I love you Aunt Mer! See you after school!"

She hugged me back, patting my cheek. "My gorgeous Brielle. I could not be more proud of you."

"Aww, Aunt Mer! You're going to make me cry!"

"Don't. You'll mess up your makeup."

I nodded, "Yes, auntie." I looked to the light and blinked the tears back.

"Do you have your lunch?"

I patted the back of my bag, "Yep! Securely attached! I think I hear the bell! I love you, Auntie." I waved and started sprinting off.

"Brielle! Wait for your sister!"

Aria got out of the car and I took it all in. The amount of students at my middle school never ceased to amaze me. It seemed to get bigger every year. So many people. So many new friends to make!

I couldn't wait until highschool! It was supposed to be even bigger. How many friends could I make there?

Ariel, my cousin, had started high school that day and I made a vow that I would ask her all about it on the way home.

"Aren't you excited?!" I squealed to Aria, who barely looked up from her phone. "We're eighth graders, Aria! The whole school is ours!"

Aria slid her phone into the side pocket of her black leather backpack and started walking faster. "Let's go get our schedules."

"Alright!" I chirped, "I'm so so so excited! Think of all the amazing things we can do this year! All the new things we get to learn!"

Aria yawned. "Brielle, please. You're shouting. It's nine in the morning. Most people don't run off liquid sunshine like you do." She bumped me with her shoulder.

"Sorry." I lowered my voice. I often didn't realize how loud I was until someone pointed it out. Then I noticed all of the eyes I'd drawn to us returning to their conversations.

"It's alright." She grabbed my hand. "But come on, the schedules should be in the office."

"Ellie!" John called out to me.

I beamed and shot my hand out to wave at him. "John! It's so good to see you!" I dropped Aria's hand and ran to hug him. He smelled like Old Spice and soap. John had blonde hair, a few shades darker than my golden and green eyes, a constantly glimmering emerald, so full of life.

That day, he was wearing a grey shirt and jeans. The shirt said 'Go Lions!' With a decal of a lion roaring printed on it. School pride, even on the first day. His passion was why I loved him. Hanging around his neck was a black cross necklace that he almost never took off.

"How are you? I haven't seen you since Bible camp!" The past few summers, I had gone with him for a two week religious retreat at the end of the July. Every Sunday I went with him and his parents to church as well as volunteering at least one Wednesday a month at the church's youth group. I loved those kids and they seemed to love me, except when I couldn't give them candy of course.

"I'm good, I've been really busy. Football camp, the food pantry, back to school shopping. I'm sorry that we haven't been able to call much."

"Oh! No, it's okay! I've been busy too. Cheer camp, pageants, I have one this weekend actually if you want to come. Plus, I could've seen you if I'd gone to church but Aunt Flow had other plans for me." God, did I really say that? "Anyways, I'm rambling. I do that a lot…"

John shook his head. "It's alright. I missed you, though."

I blushed, looking at the ground. "I missed you too."

Aria cleared her throat, breaking through the buzzing excitement the air around us seemed to be filled with. I had almost forgotten that she'd been there. John made me feel like I was in a world all our own. "Let's go get our schedules."

Before Aria could corral me away, John asked me, "Oh one more thing! My mom's been asking about you. Can you come over after school tonight, maybe stay for dinner?"

"Sure! Let me just check with my aunt!"

"Bye, John." Aria called, walking away without a response.

Reluctantly I followed her. "Bye John! I'll see you later!"

The day went on as any usual school day, catching up with friends, meeting my new teachers. The only difference was that I didn't have cheer. Cheer tryouts wouldn't be for another week or two. The school wanted everyone to adjust to their schedule before adding extracurriculars. Some of the eighth graders, including myself had been picked to tryout for cheer captain the day before the regular tryouts. So, even though I wasn't excited to have a break from cheer, it gave me an extra week to practice the routine Coach Reynolds taught us at cheer camp.

I was pretty much guaranteed a spot on the team but I was still nervous. Everyone else was incredibly talented and beautiful, even if I had made the school's cheer team the past two years and had been a cheerleader for a total of eight years. Cheerleading was my life. The only thing I loved more was my family, of course. I would be nowhere without them. Aria and Ariel had been by my side since day one.

After school, I got into Mrs. Kipp's car. "Hello, Mrs. Kipp! It's nice to see you!"

She smiled at me from the rear view mirror, "Hello, dear. It's nice to see you too. How was school?"

"School was great ma'am! All of my teachers seem really nice!"

"I'm glad to hear that. What about your day, Johnathan?"

John shrugged. "It was fine."

"Do you two have any classes together?"

"We have two! Health and Geometry." I answered, John was staring out the window. Was he okay? I didn't want to embarrass him in front of his mother but I made a mental note to ask him about it as soon as we were alone.

The ride to his house was silent except for the Christian radio Mrs. Kipp played. It was comforting in a way, but also stirred a buzzing like bees in my chest, questions stirring around right under the surface that I feared I would never have the answers to. So, I ignored them. If I smiled hard enough, they would go away on their own.

Mrs. Kipp parked in the driveway of the Kipp's townhouse, "Well I'll leave you two to it! I have to make dinner before Evan comes home." The way that she said Evan was unique. It was filled with happiness and excitement and love that I'd never seen in such a long relationship. I longed to feel that way about someone one day, or perhaps we'd both feel that way. Perhaps, if I was really lucky it would be with John.

The thought of someone smiling every time they said my name was nice but when I thought about John doing it it made me absolutely giddy. He was so handsome and sweet and smart. He loved his family and God and he loved me. I was so glad we were friends, but maybe we could be something more.

The past two years would've been completely different to him. He had changed my life for the better. I couldn't imagine life without him, I didn't want to. I'd ruin things if I let myself feel anything more for him.

John motioned with his head for me to follow him down to the basement, where his room was and so I did.

He sat on his bed, wiping his hands on his cargo shorts. "Do you-" his voice cracked and he coughed and started over, "Do you want to watch a movie?"

I furrowed my brows, "You're acting off."

"What? No I'm not!" His voice cracked again.

"Yes you are." I perched on the edge of the bed. "Come on John, it's me. Don't you think I know you better than that? We're the best of friends! Two peas in a pod! Compadres!"

He cracked a smile but it wasn't as bright as his usual. "Right. Friends." He sat on his hands, still not looking at me.

"Do you not… Do you not want to be friends anymore?" Tears welled in my eyes, as I cocked my head to the side.

"No! Ellie, I swear it's not that. I swear to God."

I nodded, "Then what is it?" I hugged my knees to my chest, settling in beside him.

"I like you."

I laughed a little. How silly. "I like you too! We're friends! Of course I like you!"

"No, Ellie. Not like that."

"Then how?" I was met with silence, like he was searching for the right words.

"Can I show you?"

I nodded, "Sure!"

He took my head in his hands. "What are you-" I couldn't get out the words before his lips were on mine. The kiss was over as quickly as it started, not enough time for me to kiss back.

"Sorry."

My face felt hot, and I was grinning as wide as my face could stretch. "That was my first kiss."

"Oh Ellie I'm so-"

"Do it again."

"What?" He smiled, his shoulders relaxing.

"Kiss me again. Please. I really liked it."

He leaned in, this kiss was slow and passionate. Butterflies didn't flutter in my stomach, but my heart soared. This time, I kissed back.

"I'm glad you were my first kiss."

"I'm glad you were mine too."

We smiled at each other, just basking in the excitement of the moment.

"So, what are we?"

"Depends." He sat up taller, becoming the confident young man I knew him as. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes!" I squealed, and his smile went wider.

"You're adorable."

I giggled, "thank you."

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and I shuddered. "Are you cold?"

"A little. Do you want to… maybe… watch a movie and cuddle?"

He handed me the remote, "Pick whatever you want, princess."

"Princess?" The world made the world seem even brighter.

"Do you like it?"

"I do."

"Well, as long as we're dating, you're my princess."

I smiled, "Very well then, my prince." We kissed again and I snuggled in his arms. I pulled his soft blue blanket around us before picking a movie.

Little did I know, that was the happiest that I would ever be.

[popculturebuffet]

New X-Men Xtrospective Part 2: Germ Free Generation (Annual, #117-120)

Hello all you happy mutants! And welcome back to my look one of my faviorite runs of one of my faviorite super teams by one of my faviorite comic book writers!

For those of you just joining us.. it’s been a while. I did the first instalment of this retrospective back in early January as a present to my friend for christmas, as he had never read E is for Extinctoin and what with this run being vital to the current, utterly brilliant Krakoa era of X-Men. But with both Black History Month and Valentine’s day, February had no real room for this one and march ended up being just as crammed with me doing essentially the entire della arc of ducktales in one month. I didn’t mean for this retrospective to get pushed so far back, but since I gave up doing weekly coverage of Final Space I had some room on the schedule so this retrospective is back with a vengance with two entries this month and hopefully at least one a month afterword to keep it at a decent clip. 

Last time I covered the background of this run and didn’t really find much for the issues after, so I won’t have to spend as much time on background. 

So since i’ts been a few months, a refresher is probably in order

PREVIOUSLY, ON X-MEN:  Our merry mutants enterted a marvelous new era. As Charles redidciated to the dream with new equipment and a new uniforms our hero encounter a new villian: The Mysterious Cassandra Nova, a powerful telepath who used an uwitting patsy from the trask family and a defucnt sentinel factory to slaughter the mutant nation of Genosha, killing 16 million mutants in the most horrific act of genocide against mutants ever known. And the fact there has been more than one genocide against mutant kind MIGHT, just MIGHT be the reason they blackmailed for peace with life saving drugs instead of helping willingly and freely in the current comics. Just maybe. 

Cassandra was captured by the X-Men soon after but escaped and nearly got a hold of Cerebra only to be stopped thanks to a combination of former enemy, genoshan resident at the time of the genocide, and that bitch Emma Frost who snapped her neck and Charles himself who uncharacteristically shot Cassandra in the head. That night Charles took a bold step over that would change the X-Men forever and told the world on live tv:

While all of this was going on we got caught up on the team’s personal struggles, currently consisting of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast and Wolverine with Emma joining as of the issue we’re about to cover. Beast is grappling with a secondary mutation that makes him look like Aslan, the jesus of narnia and all lions. Meanwhile Scott and Jean are grappling with their non existant sex life as Cyclops possesion by Apocalypse shortly before this story has severely rattled him and caused him to close himself off emotionally. 

So that’s where we pick up. Our heroes are now no longer hiden saftely in the shadows from a world that hates and fear them but are out front and center with the world watching. And we’ll see both how that helps their cause and how it puts them directly in the cross hairs under the cut.  Content Warning: This review discusses Transphobia and a scene involving a school shooting. If either of these are a trigger for you or something you do not want to read about  please skip this part of the retrospective for your own well being. Thank you and have a lovely day. 

The Man From Room X:

We have three stories today: an annual that introduces our final team member and the main villians of our next arc, a one off that moves the main plot for the first 12 issues along, and a three part arc about said villains.  Before we get into the Annual, I have to talk about it’s weird gimmick: The issue is entirely sideways. I don’t mean it’s bad though some parts are problematic I mean when bought it’d be on it’s side and in my trade I have to flip the whole thing over on it’s side to read it. It’s just a .. weird choice. Not the weirdest thing about this issue somehow but not unexpected from Grant as they like to play with the formula. 

We open in said Room X, a location in China where a mutant named Xorn is kept and showed off to a mysterious group of dickweeds in suits representing “Mr. Sublime”.  His jailer, General Aao Jun,, shows him off as most bad guys would : By undoing his helmet and thus disntegrating two innocent children just by looking at them. Sublime says they have a deal. 

Meanwhile also in China the X-Men are there for a funeral and Emma and Scott trade insulting questions back in forth: She mocks him about his lack of sex with Jean lately and he brings up her criminal past. As for why Emma’s still with the x-men.. it’s out of pragmatisim. WIth Genosha gone, the x-men are the saftest faction to throw in with. 

As for why the X-Men are in China, Charles has rapidly expanded his operations now he’s public by setting up X-Corps, a multinational humantarian aid organization dedicated to helping mutants in need wherever they sprout up. He’s set up offices in Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Mumbai and Melborne. 

He’s also half assed it, at least for the Hong Kong office and only gave them two employees: Domino, who those of you not as familiar with the comics may remember from deadpool and Risque.. who I honestly had never heard of before New X-Men and frequently forget existed. I just looked her up for the first time and she’s a minor mutant who was an associate of X-Force and Warpath’s love intrest. She could compress matter causing it to implode. My assumption here is that Morrison simply picked a minor mutant at random for the job. 

But yeah naturally with only two mutants charged with, according to domino “All of asia” went horribly and the x-men are there for Risque’s funeral and to find out what happened. Unsuprisingly it’s tied into our cold open: Risque had found evidence of a mutant trafficking operation and died fighting them off and Dom is naturally f eeling in over her head since said operation involves the chinese goverment, who according to her exccute most mutants at birth and John Sublime and his cult. 

We soon see a press confrence from this asshole and find out what his deal is: Sublime is the head of the U-Men, a group that belivies they are a “third species” of mutants trapped in human bodies that deserve to have the surgery to make them into mutants, and thus wear weird suits until the world is pure and allows them to have surgery for it. 

Yeahhhh this.. this is really fucking uncomfortable and is going to be present throughout today’s piece so let’s just go ahead and rip that band-aid off:  The U-Men come off as HIGHLY transphobic. They use terms similar to trans people call themselves trans species and are trapped inside a body they don’t belong in. It’s VERY uncomfortable to read as a result and something that hadn’t really sunk into till thsi reading but once it had.. oh god does this not age well. 

The one thing that keeps this from runing the run and Grant Morrison as a whole for me.. is that I do not think for one second it was intentional. Grant themself is genderqueer, nonbinary and a cross dresser. None of this means they CAN’T be prejudice, being Queer does not magically make you immune to being prejudiced. But before this Grant had the genderqueer sentient street Danny the Street over in doom patrol and a trans main character in his book the invisibles, Lord Fanny. And given New X-Men’s biggest flaw as a whole is clumsy early 2000′s unforutnate implications such as a good chunk of the things about Cyclops affair with Emma, we’ll get to that at the right time, Angel in the next arc and Dust, who was introduced as from afganastan wearing an outfit not seen in the country and speaking a language not spoken in the country. Grant didn’t make these mistakes TWICE, it’s why I still have respect for them, and this won’t be the first or last comic i’ve forgiven for being stupid for it’s time. But I will still call Grant out when I see it. Just because I respect an author just because they changed my life does not mean I won’t call them out when they fuck up. And if they prove to be truly vile, have harmed someone or what have you I will cut them the fuck out of my life. I’ve done it with JK Rowling, Warren Ellis, Brad Jones and Joss Whedon. I would do it with Grant if I truly belivied they were transphobic and instead didn’t just write something very stupid without thinking the metaphor through 20 years ago. 

So anyway back to the comic book bollocks as Wolvie and Dominio prepare for an infiltration and flirt a bunch. We also find out Jun is a mutant himself with a power only Grant could dream up: his skin, hair and what have you that falls off him turns into a naked golem for a bit before expiring. And if you hadn’t read this issue before reading this review, yes that actually happened. While the first arc had a BIT of Grant’s trademark batshit insanity, the series REALLY starts to pick it up from here: This issue has a mutant with functioning star for a head, a poorly thought out bucnh of sci fi new age organ theives, and a general whose power is “makes naked clones out of his dandruff”. Oh and his fondest wish?

I just... I don’t know how to respond to that. I don’t know how you respond to an old man’s weird murder fetish that he tells a somehow even creepier cult leader while said cult leader is paying him to buy a star man, and their both surronded by the creepy old guy’s skin golems that weirdly look like mudokons. Look i’ve  read Grant’s entire utterly bonkers run on doom patrol. I’ve seen a man who looks like a question mark use a bicycle that makes everyone high like their on LSD for president. And THIS is what breaks me. 

So while.. THIS is going on, Dom and Wolverine plan to do it all night long on the professor’s credit card, no really he gives all his professors carte blanch to use school fun, and inflitrate, Dom through the elvator this horrorshow just took place in and Wolvie james bond style. Also I gotta say I REALLY love how Morrison writes Domino. She’s wittiy, entertaining and her power is as awesome as always, super luck if you didn’t know. It’s a real shame he didn’t add her to the team: She wasn’t on any other x-teams, with X-Force having been rebranded into X-Statix by this point. She would’ve been a fun addition to the cast. 

Naturally wolverine is found out.. but that was the entire plan, for him to serve as a distraction then cut his way to domino while she steals something from the vault. As for the rest of the X-Men, Cyclops, Beast and Emma are all downstairs in the parking garage and find a secret entrance. Jean is not on this trip and that’s a major plot point for this run. This is where Risque died.. and it only get’s worse when Hank goes inside, finding a bug like child, basically htink a giant caterpillar but with tons of human arms inttead of legs with her wings cut off. 

Thankfully as Logan and Dom escape above, the U-Men are dumb enough to storm down bellow.. and while they incapacitate beast with some launched tiny knives, designed to incapcicate but leave them in tact for harvest, Emma beats the shit out of them and get the info out as only she can....

Granted she could’ve just turned back to normal and used her telepathy.. but what fun would that be? Plus they have blockers and you know CUT UP A FUCKING CHILD. SO yeah fuck them, let emma have her fun. 

Thanks to her they find out the U-Men are a front for illegal organ harvest, and while they can’t prove sublimes attached Emma suggests killing him.  Good idea but Scott suggests the lighter approach and we find out what Dom stole, a key, something Emma can psychcially scan. She warns it might take her a bit to get something.. only to be flooded instantly and we find out who the man in the box was. Shen Xorn... i’ll let emma tell you more herself. 

It’s stuff like this why, despite some serious flaws like the U-Men debacle and some stuff to come, some I mentioned above other that’s just with the plot that i love this run. Morrison just gets how to really tell an x-men story and the real tragedy of being a mutant. That just for being diffrent, you get shut out, or in this case thrown into a box when you could’ve and should’ve been something more. As emma turns herself to diamond to deal with the psychic backlash, Beast has some solemn words to share. 

That night Scott rests in his bedroom while presumibly hearing some truly horrific and sexy things next door while talking to jean before clocking out.. only for Emma to head in in a sexy dress with champagne. What happened? Well we won’t know for sure for most of the run. 

The next day the U-Men prepare to load and we get some scrap of what the idea was supposed to be: John talks to Ao Jun about his procedures. We see wings crudely sewen to his back and his throat implaants hurting “But one day I will fly”. THe IDEA is their supposed to be lunatics, people who envy mutantkind but don’t actually respect their culture or their sense of personhood. It’s not the worst idea and had Grant not used trans termnology for htis, it would’ve been a great one. I think he INTENDED for them to be coopting the idea of being trans and what not to maks their true intentions.. which is problematic due to debates like the ones on bathrooms where a lot of transphobic asshats make the bad faith argument a bunch of people are going to pretend to be trans to assault people. 

We’re.. we;’re not even to the main storyarc yet. 

But things soon go wrong as Xorn’s starhead starts to collapse into a black hole, with no solution as the x-men took the key to his helmet.. and assault the compound. Turns out the star collapse thing is Jun’s revenge on humanity for lockig him down here and he gets his neck snapped.  Scott has a solution though.. and it’s stuff like this why I fucking love Scott Summers and get annoyed when people call him “boring”: He realizes Xorn is comitting sucicide.. so he’s going to talk him out of it. Not just for everyone else but he deserves to live. And while Emma points out only logan among htem knows chinese and she can’t get through to Xorns’ head due to the way his brain works, Scott has a simple workaround: Use the nearest chineses speaker to teach Scott chinese. So.. with that he talks to Xorn. 

And that my friend is Scott Summers. A man who faced with powerful man whose given up, whose lost all hope... convinces him he can still go on. That living’s better than dying.. and that it does get better. The issue closes with Xorn basking in the sunlight for the first time in decades while Domino sweats having an extremley powerful unknown mutant out in the world. Scott’s already thought of that.. and signed him up with the x-men. Granted it won’t be until our next article that he actually fully joins the team, but w’ell get to that next time. 

This issue is great... while the U-Men stuff is pretty bad and isn’t going to get better, the tale of xorn is excitiong, Aao Jun is an intresting antagonist and the sideways gimmick suprisingly works. So now we’ve finshed our apitizer let’s get on to the main course. 

Danger Rooms:

We open in well.. the Danger Room with Beast training a new student. 

This is Beak. Beak is my faviorite character Morrison came up with and one of my faviorite X-Characters. Beak is a bird like boy who can fly, it’s just a struggle and due to looking diffrent and not having the most impressive power has very low self esteem. It’s also part of something Morrison took a concerted effort to do: introduce more mutants with genuinely odd apperances and drawbacks. Like we saw with Ugly John last time and Aao Jun in the previous issue, Morriosn really likes adding weird mutants but he also uses it to give a genuine downside to being one. While this isn’t NEW to x-men, Morriosn upped the scale and number of characters like this with weird powers and apperances. We see a bunch of human passing ones too but the backgrounds just jammed with all sorts of unique designs and students. It’s also the point where the school became far more crowded like the movies, a good call on my part both to help those coming in from the movies, and to help sell the mutant baby boom going on. After all it wouldn’t make sense if the school was just about 5-7 students and a bunch of grown adults doing superhero stuff like usual would it.

But we get to see that Hank is a good teacher, as he reminds the boy that he’s getting better and won’t be an x-man overnight, and worries about him to the professor, wanting the boy not to slip through the cracks, figuratively, and not to feel like an outcast.. especaily here. But Hank dosen’t feel blue for long, metaphorically he was blue long before he became the lion minus the witch and the wardrobe, as he has a date to night.. and so does Charles. 

Or rather he did.. his girlfriend trish, a long time love intrest of his and a reporter.. breaks up with him. Over voice mail. While in washington. And the reasons she gives are not great

Yes Hank’s transformation is radical.. but not only was it not his choice... she’s being a coward, sending the message it’s okay to dump someone because hteir a mutant or because they happen tobe diffrent and that efffects your career. Again it’s moments like this that make the run soar over the more awkward bits. 

Meanwhile Logan’s off doing logan stuff, i.e. gazing at a deer. Wow. Jean followed him. Both notice a space ship: Despite recently outing himself as a mutant, leading to an increased number of students and a bunch of rioting morons at the gates, Charles has decided NOW’S a good time to take a vacation to the Shiar empire. As for why Jean’s really out here, her marriage to Scott isn’t doing so good and while Logan encourages her to stay it’s just not that simple: Her telekenisis is coming back, stronger than ever. She feels the most alive she’s been while he’s shutting her out and feeling his deadest. She tries to turn to logan for comfort but he shuts her down. Just wait two decades jean... he’ll open up to a threesome. In all seriousness though having Jean try and come onto Logan .. will backfire slightly on later storylines. But we’ll get to that eventually. 

In the basement Hank is studying Cassandra or rather a virtual version of her since her body is naturally in storage. And he’s found out something disturbing: She’s Charles Genetic Twin.. oh and it gets way worse. The Professor’s weird behavior? Barely staffing the hong kong office, leaving suddenly with rioters t the gates, outing himself? About that...

Cassandra tourtures Hank with the possiblity he’s devovling and then tries to mind controlli him into cleaning himself with his diploma when Beak enters. The good news is this allows hank to shake off her control and tackle her, showing off why hank mccoy is fucking awesome in the process. 

That is the Hank McCoy I know, love.. and miss dearly. The one we’ll probably never get back sadly after what others did and what Percy’s had to do to reconclie with all they did. 

Unfortunately beak being around means cassandra can force him to beat beast into a coma with his bat. She plans to tear Charles dream down around him and make him watch.. and cryptically says he tried to kill her. She then cheerfully leaves Jean in charge.. and talks about just how much damage one could do with an entire interstellar empire in the wrong hands....

This issue is also excellent and sets up the next two arcs nicely while giving us a nice peak in hank’s head. Great stuff. The artist also hid the word sex in a lot of the images see if you can find them. 

Germ Free Generation Issue 1: 

So now we get into our main story for today. This story and the one before it were drawn by Ethan Van Sciver whose a talented artist.. but also highly contrversial for being a conservative. I myself.. don’t know what he’s said or did, though calling himself “Canceld Superstar’ on twitter really isn’t a good sign. So I really can’t comment on it but I also know someone would mention it if I didn’t bring it up and if you know what he did please enlighten me. 

So we open with a school shooter who also scooped out a guys eyes and is part of the U-Men. He get shot by the swat team while making his speech> it’s an effective opening but one that’s become more uncomfortable to read with each passing day due to school shootings going up and up in number. And mass shootings in general and I... I need a second. I need something to relax me

Thank you Stoopy. Your doing Odd’s Work. 

So the news reports on this and we soon see how Jean watches the news.. by using Cerebra to read the minds of every person on the planet. Neat. Everyone’s talking about them. We also get a hint for later as we hear on the suicide of one martha johanson who wrote the note in her own blood. She’ll be important later.... and I mean that both in the context of this retrospective and for the fact she’ll go on to be part of x-men in perpetuity. 

This is also where another great concept of Morrison’s pops up: Mutant culture. After all mutants are a minority, they should have their own culture. It’s something Hickman’s era has taken and ran with, but it’s a damn good idea and one that it shoudln’t of taken almost 20 years for someone else to use given Decimation was undone way back around 2012 in Avengers Vs X-Men, aka that event half hte articles on the mcu around the fox sale used as either their image for the article or asked about happneing. And yes that is a pet peeve of mine: while I do think like Civil War AVX could use a movie version to make it better, I don’t think it’s an event that could be done right away and would have to be almost entirely redone anyway given the context for AvX is entirely couched in decimation i.e. something NO ONE wants in any x-adaptation. 

So it turns out while watching the news in a next level way Jean is also talking to Logan. “Stay out of my personal fantasies”. Yeah I .. I don’t think your ready for a hairy canadian dry humping a transformer.. specifically killbison. And yes.. that is an actual transformer and why yes, I have been waiting to bring him up. 

And he is , and I am not making any of this up, part of a group of decpticons known as the breastforce. Your life is better for knowing that and you are welcome. 

Anyway as you’d imagine a genocidal old woman in her brothers’ body leaving the X-Men to fend for themselves after having a teenager bludgeon one into a coma after publicly outing them with a rabid bunch of bigoted morons at the gates has not gone great. Henry is still out and despite the short staffing Jean needs logan to stay where he is as he’s close to an emerging mutant and within range to go get her. 

Emma of course has never been so fucking irate in her whole life and is plotting various forms of psychic tourture with the help of her proteges the Stepford Cucokoo, 5 teenage mutants who functoin best as a unit and are easily some of MOrrison’s most prominent additions to the x-cast. Unlike a lot of the x-kids, they’ve been featured prominently in every era of x-men after this including the current one. 

Jean decides for a less “Make them hate us even more” approach, but no less pissed off, opening the gates and going out directly to chew out the assembled bigoted morons, pointing out the ones carrying “Mutants Go Home!” signs are especailly dumb as this IS her home. And while she dosen’t point this part out, it’ the same for all of them: most of the mutants are either adults who choose to live here, teenagers who along with their parents choose to live here, or in the majority teens who have no where else to go due to either being abandoned by their families or it being way to dangerous for said families for them to stay due to bigoted assholes like the ones holding mutants go home signs. 

A member of the press asks if she’s willing to talk to the media and she refutes most of his bullshit allegations: He asks if their building an army, she and Scott respond they are not and are simply educating mutants and protecting them. When he counters with the fact their living weapons and wearing uniforms... she counters with the fact she’s wearing them to protect herself, rightfully, from people like her, and the x-men are an aid orginzation going where needed to protect the world and while asshole points out no one apointed them.. jean shuts him down by pointing out there are no mutants in goverment and a genocide just happened, so someone has to do the job. Another random asshole tries to pipe up with “Genosha declared war on us” and Emma senses this is just going to go round and round and round and simply presses the assembled mob’s “bliss buttons” in their brains to knock them out. Non violent but honestly warranted: A dangerous part of bigoted assholes is they’l bring up racist bullshit to try and couch it like an actual conversation. None of these complaints really hold water if you looked at the x-men’s history for more than 5 minutes. Yes Charles is training them to fight and yes hte ingial class was an army but every class since has only been trained for self defense: they still got into adventures and what not, but it was usually by their own choice or because they were thrust into them by circumstance. Xaviers is exactly what jean said and endudgling these morons, while good on paper, only makes them seem legit. 

Jean retreats to the infirmary where she’s on the verge of breaking down from the sheer weight of everything. Cyclops proves that despite not being the best husband right now... he still loves his wife, offering to go look into Sublime with Emma and hoping Hank wakes up. Turns out his mind for now is a big blank room.

So she can’t get any info off his skull, and neither of the two think what happened with Beak adds up. Something is up here. Their also coming down with colds which will be important later. And just as important.. Magneto is becoming a symbol among people and merch sales with his image are on the rise.  We then get this. 

So Jean is trying to be a supportive, honest wife, and while the questions incredibly insulting.. his answer is equally so. Spoilers, as mentioned we do get an answer long after this.. and they did not. So Jean is wrong to be suspcious, at this point, but is at least trying to be polite about it and gave him the benifit of the doubt.. and Scott basically said he slept with her without actually saying it despite not having to. You could’ve said “no we did not have sex, we simply talked all night”. It’s not ENTIRELY better given the horrible state of their relationship right now, but it’s still better than HEAVILY implying he rocked her body to the break of dawn for no damn reason. 

So we meet our next major addition to the cast Angel Salvador, an abused teen who is a mutant.. and whose abusive and molesting step dad beats her and throws her out over this. The scene’s a bit overdone, coming off like an after school special.. but it’s what happens AFTER that’s truly heartwrenching. 

A poor scared teenager clutching herself, finding herself homeless alone and desperatly wishing she wasn’t what she was. It’s just a striking image and shows how well Grant uses the mutant metaphor. I could easily see myself in that position had my parents not been good peopl and had I come out far sooner as bi. The idea of desperatly hoping your not what you are simply becaus eof what hell it brings, despite all the joy it can bring too. . it’s heartbreaking to hear. 

Naturally though things don’t get much better as the next morning the U-Men have found her, calling her a freak and successfully kidnapping her.. if only because while she uses acid spit to escape, she flies into a power line. 

We then get Sublimes meeting with Emma and Scott and a BETTER use of teh u-men as while Grant made the horrible mistake of calling them “transpecies”, seriously what the fuck were you thinking, the way sublime frames it here is a MUCH better, much less accidently bigoted concept. 

The idea isn’t bad: A group of humans jealous of the mutants powers, blatantly ignoring the horrible downsides and mountain of persecution that comes with being one. Grant just made the mistake of couching in in Trans metaphors, clearly trying to have the U-Men steal from Trans People too as a way to make themselves seem legit. And I say if you want superpowers.. fine.. wanting to be a superhero or a mutant is fine, the issue with the U-Men is their copoting a culture, trying to be part of mutantkind without having any of the drawbacks and by actively butchering them. It’s why the concept HAS shown up elsewhere; it’s not TERRIBLE, Grant just made a bad creative choice that’s only gotten worse as Transphobia has ramped up further and further. 

Sublime denies it when our heroes bring up Hong Kong.. but naturally he’s simply just keeping them talking long enough to bring out his trump cards, an army of u-men and a brain in a jar he uses to incapacitate them.. and announces his plan to use the school as an organ farm for his third species. 

Meanwhile Logan finds the U-Men in their truck preparing to rip angel apart.. and given he snikit’s soon after.. i’ts very clear whose REALLY about to get ripped apart. 

Germ Free Generation Part 2: 

Part two begins wth Sublime monologoging about how Mutantkind are just cattle to them and reveals the brain is martha’s, her sucicide having been faked and her brain currently being controlled to use as a weapon. 

So while Johnny monlogues we find out what happened with Wolverine last issue he didn’t cut up the guys yet as they fired their little flichete guns at him... it was about as useful and effective as you’d expect and the massacre you were expecting occurs. Though in a nice bit of reality the fact wolverine’s soaked in blood and just killed a bunch of blood shockingly does not make the already frighttend teen feel he’s safe and she spits acid on him. Logan pours some stuff on the acid, figuring rightly a black ops murder farmacy would have something to counteract it and tells her she’s safe now .. and tells the guy behind him not to try it. He’s stupid and does anyway and likely gets a claw to the head off panel. 

They go to a diner to eat and find a local asshole who threatens them with a shot gun to leave once angel uses her power to digest and goes on a rant about how he snapped his own son’s neck to prevent him being born a freak. Just.. fucking hell this arc is not good for my depression. We get some more angst from Angel and whiel her dialouge is not the best, i’ts a too bit mark millar flavored edgelordy for my taste and if I wanted that i’d go read Ultimates or Ultimate X-Me, her pain is real and Logan helps her through it. 

Back at the Mansion the U-Men are on their way to strike, whlie Jean unaware continues to buckle under the weight of all the shit she’s had to deal with, feeling SOMETHING is making them weak with the colds and something worse is going on and thus tries going to Beak’s mind instead and gently helps talk him through it, showing her grace and empathy.. and in return finding out Charles was the one responsible. The alarms flair up and Jean tries calling the police now that’s an option.. but it goes exactly how you’d expect. 

Also a second artist took over for this issue and the next Igor Kordey. He’s fine, but not nearly as good as Quitely or Van Sciver and it shows. Meanwhile Beast awakens and heads for the body drawer with Cassandra’s body, and professor’s mind in it. 

However Jean’s finally had enough and got her second wind. She’s outgunned, outmanned and left to her own devices. And she’s fucking fed up with it. She steels herself and assembles the students. This is obviously a last resort.. but some of them can defend themselves and their going to need to. But today they won’t be learning.. they’ll be teaching and as the U-Men call them defensless Jeans simply asks “Are you sure about that?”

Germ Free Generation Part 3:

So we come to the finale of this arc. Angel is once again an ungreatful brat to logan and he opts to just leave her there if sh’es going to be like that pointing out being a mutant sucks, it’s going to keep sucking.. and she needs to deal with it instead of lashing out at him and herself over it. 

We get back to the U-Men, one of whom is utterly flabergasted they want to him to cut of Cyclops head... only for Emma to awaken.. and take back her regular form meaning she has her telepathy back. The only reason they were able to get her ealier is she was in diamond mode which is stronger but lacks that, a nice way to check and ballance her new powers. She quickly takes them out and disables Martha. 

Back at the school we get one of Jean’s definting moments for me and a true chance to show how badass she can be. Before this while Morrison wrote her well, and his version’s still my favoirite, she didn’t really get to do much and was motly in the background. This arc has been her time in the limelight, having trouble grappling with all the stress of running this place by herself.. and emerging from it stronger, more capable and ready to kick some racist weirdo ass. She tries a few diffrent tactics first, having a mutant with a voice power project it to make them think their san invisible army and having the cuckoos fuck with their heads but when both fail, Jean REALLY gets to show off. Thier blade ammo gets turned into a cool looking 3 dimensioinal shape with her telekneisis, and in a cool moment and a wise use of something gross makes the only one of them with useable powers throw up, before issuing a badass boast, wreathed in flames all while she crumples their guns into uselessness. and tears open their suits. 

Bad ass.. and logan and Angel arrive just in time for the cecendo as hte u-men flee in terror

The Phoenix has been Reborn. Jean Grey has risen from the ashes and returned to full power. 

Meanwhile Sublime is pankcing.. and it gets worse when Emma shows up, fully enraged after all of this and has some words for him. 

Iconic. Emma prepares to drop him out of a building but Scott rightly tries to get her to back off, pointing out the pr nightmare it’d create and the fact that they have enough evidence ot shut him down. Martha however has other ideas and gets him to let go of his own accord, falling to his death.. but given he’d aranged a stunt for the press apparently this gives our heroes deniability and Martha her revenge. 

So we end this three parter as Jean revels in her new power, and Beast returns with an announcment:

Final Thoughts for Germ Free Generation:  This arc is pretty good if forgetable. The struggle of Jean to run the school herself and her rising from the ashes of her own pain at the end with the power of the phoenix at the end is fantastic, finally both giving her a chance to shine.. and a worrying sign for her friends given what her phoenix force copy whose memories she has a copy of, long story, did is awesome. The other parts are okay and ehhhhhhhhh though. Scott and Emma’s investigation into the u-men while having a really good climax, is pretty standard x-men stuff, and Wolverin’es trek with angel is just okay with Angel being highly intolerable during this arc, with Morrison trying a bit TOO hard to make her a “realistic” teen instead coming off as horribly unplesant. She’s supposed to just be lashing out but comes off obnxious as a result. That said this arc does furhter a lot of Morrisons best idea and introduce more, and is a great setup for our next arc, which we’ll get to in two weeks. Soooo

Next Time On X-Men: We find out just what the hell Cassandra Nova is, what her plans are, and what happened with her and charles as our heroes come down with a cold as the might of the shiar empire bears down on them. It’s IMperial in two weeks. 

Next Time ON This BLog: Speaking of long Delayed Projects, I finally return to The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck as a young Scrooge starts his prospecting career, learning the ins and outs from a rich new mentor, and finding the price tag striking it rich comes with. Raid a copper hill with me tommorow. 

If you liked this review, subscirbe for more, join my patreon, and if there’s a comic you’d like me to cover suggest it in the comments or outright comission a review from me via ask. See you at the next rainbow

[thethistlegirlwrites]

Whumptober day 15 (Into the Unknown)

Luckily, I had this idea already written, so this one can actually be posted on its day!

It's been a rare shift, uneventful and actually a bit boring. John didn't voice that out loud, though, until they were checked out of the building and on their way home. "Want to stop and get tea from that fae place?" he asks Robin when they're about a block away.

"Sure." Robin looks up from where he's been arranging a herd of origami deer on the dashboard. "That sounds great."

John parks in the lot for the legal firm across the street (which also might be fae, honestly) and they walk over to the cafe. John takes a deep breath of the spicy smell of glamour when they step through the edges of it, then pauses at the sight of a woman in a white embroidered peasant blouse sitting at one of the tables with her eyes closed and her hands held out in front of her like she's meditating. 

"Who's that?" John asks, although he's not aware he said it out loud until Robin answers him.

"I don't know." Robin glances at the table. "She's been here a couple times. I think she tells fortunes."

"Second sight?" John asks. "Abuela Rosa used to get visions strong enough to tell people things." He steps toward the table. 

"Uh, I don't think..."

"You're a fae and you don't believe in clairvoyant powers?" John asks.

"You have second sight and you didn't like fae magic." Robin shrugs. "It's not that I don't believe sometimes you get glimpses of things. But I don't think anyone can control it like these people claim to. It's all a game." He sounds nervous in a way he normally doesn't. John guesses after you've had people dredge up your secrets and hold them against you, you don't like the idea of people who can see your past or future. 

John shrugs. "Okay. We'll go get tea." He doesn't tell Robin why it is he really wanted to talk to the woman. 

Abeula Rosa's been gone for almost twenty years. No one else he knows has the Second Sight. And he just wants to know if someone can tell him why he's still dreaming of the same grave. If it's just a recurring nightmare and no longer a true vision, or if what it presaged is still out there waiting somewhere ahead. He just wants to talk to someone who understands.

Granted, there's a better than even chance the woman is a total charlatan, but...he'll know in a few minutes if he starts talking to her. But if it makes Robin uncomfortable, he doesn't want to push things. The kid's got a lifetime of trauma because someone went digging around in the things he wanted to hide. He probably doesn't want this woman to see them if she is what she claims to be.

They have to walk directly past her table to get inside, John is sure that's part of her schtick. There's a hand-lettered watercolor sign on the table that reads 'Genuine Fae Seer - fortune readings, $5'. A woven basket on the table holds a small stack of bills. 

It's one of the few jobs an unregistered fae can have without getting outed. Here, protected by the glamour of the magical coffee shop, she can set up her business and not need to explain herself to anyone. The only people who will ever get in here are ones the shop owners trust. Or people with the second sight like John. Robin informed him after their first visit here that he should probably avoid mentioning actually being able to see a functioning coffee shop on this corner. 

They're about to walk in when Robin stops with a jolt. John turns to see that the fae woman has stood up. Her wild blond hair, pulled back from her cheeks by fraying twin braids, is glowing in the sunlight and her blue-grey eyes are simultaneously intense and empty. And she's looking right at Robin.

"Do you know someone named Ellie?" 

"I..." Robin flinches.

John knows she didn't use the kid's name, but he looks just as frozen as if she had. There's grey fear swirling in his own eyes, and he looks like he wants to get out of here but can't. John immediately goes on the defensive.

"Hey, he didn't ask you for a reading or anything, let him be."  

"I didn't mean any harm." There's a skittish fear in her eyes, like a feral cat from the ranch. If he moves wrong, she'll bolt. Probably had some bad experiences with people before. Fae generally do.

"My mom's name was Ellie," Robin says. He's not looking at either of them but at the toes of his shoes. 

"Your mother?" The woman glances at him. "Of course. The resemblance is striking." Her hand trembles slightly. "We were friends as children. How..."

"She's been dead almost thirteen years," Robin admits shakily.

"I'm so sorry." Her voice cracks. A genuine sound of heartbreak. "I didn't know." 

John frowns. He's not quite ready to take this woman's word for who she is, even though fae can't actually lie.

"How do I know you didn't just have a lucky guess about the name Ellie?"

"Because I know her mother's name was Serenity, her grandfather called himself Hamish, and she had a scar on her arm from where she fell off a stone in her back yard when she was five." 

Robin's eyes widen. "That's all true."

"Like I said. I used to know her." John can see Robin thinking, trying to place any possible memory of a friend his mother had with Second Sight. Although, if they lost touch when they were in their teens, her power might not have manifested yet. 

"Who are you?" Robin finally asks.

"You can call me Vera." The choice of given name gives John a moment's pause, when he remembers the meaning. 

"A bit on the nose don't you think?" 

"People come to get their fortune told by a mystical fae. They pay good money for a convincing act." She shrugs. "They think the Sight can be bought and paid for. It's a gift. But...a girl's got to make a living in this town."

Robin nods. "I understand. We've all done things we're not proud of to survive." She nods. "If your mother ever mentioned knowing me, she probably used a different name." Her eyes flicker pale brown for a moment. "People used to call me Tara." 

John wonders if she's Irish sidhe fae. Given that name...most likely. And Sidhe are known to have bloodlines with powerful Second Sight.

"Would you tell me a story about her?" Robin asks. "I'll pay you..."

"That's not necessary. " Her hand covers his, pushing it back from where he’s attempting to drop a handful of bills into her basket. "Sit down and I'll tell you as many stories as you want to hear."

Robin pulls out a chair and sits down, then glances up at John. "You don't mind..."

"Not at all. I'll go order us some tea." He knows the kind Robin likes, right down to how many sprigs of lavender the kid puts in. "We can stay here all day." 

[avatarinspirations]

Avatar Kyoshi music

Here are some songs I like for Kyoshi’s story. It’s gonna get random XD

Angst

“Again” by Flyleaf.

“Anything” by Mae.

“Are You With Me” by Trapt.

“Baby you wouldn’t last a minute on the creek” by Chiodos.

“Bionic” by Christina Aguilera.

“Bite To Break Skin” by Senses Fail.

“Breath” by Breaking Benjamin.

“Breathe” by Michelle Branch.

“Broken Crown” by Mumford & Sons.

“Build your own Disaster” by Ice Nine Kills.

“Calling All Angels” by Train.

“Calls Me Home” by Shannon LaBrie.

“Carry On” by Fun.

“Change” by Taylor Swift.

“Change your mind” by All-American Rejects.

“Coffeeshop Soundtrack” by All Time Low.

“Cold” by Crossfade.

“Colors” by Crossfade.

“Crawling” by Linkin Park.

“Dare you to move/Meant to live” cover by Anthem Lights (original songs by Switchfoot).

“Dead in the Water” by Ellie Goulding.

“Demons” by Imagine Dragons.

“Don’t Tell Me” by Avril Lavigne.

“Dust & Gold” by Arrows to Athens.

“Everybody’s Fool” by Evanescence.

“Evil Angel” by Breaking Benjamin.

“Explosions” by Ellie Goulding.

“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten.

“Fix You” by Coldplay.

“Fly from the Inside” by Shinedown.

“From Yesterday” by 30 Seconds to Mars.

“Fully Alive” by Flyleaf.

“Gives you hell” by All-American Rejects.

“Headstrong” by Trapt.

“Helena” by My Chemical Romance.

“Hero” by Skillet.

“Heroes” by Alesso.

“Hit me with your best shot” by Pat Benatar.

“Hit the Floor” by Bullet for my Valentine.

“Hit the Floor” by Linkin Park.

“Hold Me Down” by Halsey.

“HTML Rulez Dood” by the Devil Wears Prada.

“Hurricane” by Bridgit Mendler.

“I’m So Sick” by Flyleaf.

“In the air Tonight” by Nonpoint & Phil Collins.

“Innocence” by Avril Lavigne.

“It Only Hurts” by Default.

“It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi.

“Justify” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

“Karma” by Alicia Keys.

“Kings & Queens” by 30 Seconds to Mars.

“Monster” by Skillet.

“Move Along” by All-American Rejects.

“My Hero” by Foo Fighters.

“Never Too Late” by Three Days Grace. 

“One Girl Revolution” by Superchick.

“One Woman Army” by Porcelain Black. 

“Only One” by Yellowcard.

“Over & Under” by Egypt Central.

“Papercut” by Linkin Park.

“Prelude 12/21″ by AFI.

“Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande.

“Ready to Fall” by Rise Against.

“Rebirthing” by Skillet.

“Reverie” by Megan McCauley.

“Savior” by Skillet.

“Shake It Out” by Florence & the Machine.

“Shattered” by Trading Yesterday.

“So Cold” by Breaking Benjamin.

“Somebody that I used to know” by Mayday Parade.

“Sorrow” by Flyleaf.

“Supernatural” by Flyleaf.

“Tears don’t fall” by Bullet For My Valentine.

“The Cave” by Mumford & Sons.

“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus.

“The Greatest” by Sia --> I especially love Madilyn Page’s cover.

“The Rescue” by American Hi-Fi.

“This is Gospel” by Panic at the Disco.

“To Hell & Back” by blessthefall.

“Waiting for the End” by Linkin Park.

“What have you done” by Within Temptation. 

“What I’ve Done” by Linkin Park.

“Whisper” by Evanescence. 

“You’re Not Alone” by Saosin.

Score Music (Mostly epic)

“A Building Panic” from the Titanic soundtrack.

“Air” from the Angels & Demons soundtrack.

“All or Nothing” by Brand X Music.

“Antrozous” by Hanz Zimmer (Batman Begins soundtrack).

“Attack at the Wall” from the Mulan soundtrack.

“Battle on the Tower” from the Beauty & the Beast soundtrack (the Gaston vs Beast half).

“Birth of a Hero” by Soundcritters.

“Blossoms” from the Mulan soundtrack.

“Bonded for Life” from the Indian in the Cupboard soundtrack.

“Bring the Pain” by Brand-X Music.

“Bumblebee Captured” from the Transformers soundtrack.

“Caeser’s Home” from the Rise of the Planet of the Apes soundtrack.

“Call to Arms” by Two Steps From Hell.

“Chatting with Clark” from the Supergirl Season 1 soundtrack.

“Coffey on the Mile” from the Green Mile soundtrack.

“Destiny” by Filip Olejka.

“Destroying the Corpses” from the Haunting in Connecticut soundtrack.

“Evolve Nation” by Sub Pub Music.

“Farewell” from the Pocahontas soundtrack.

“Firebird Suite” by Igor Stravinsky.

“Floating Away” by Epic Score.

“Glory Seeker” by Immediate Music.

“H2O” from the Angels & Demons soundtrack.

“Here comes the King” by X-Ray Dog.

“Heroes” by Randy Dominguez.

“Jim Saves The Crew” from the Treasure Planet soundtrack.

“Kill ‘Em All” from the Carrie 2013 soundtrack.

“Lacrimosa Dominae” by Immideate. 

“Legion” by Randy Dominguez.

“Like a Fire” from the X-Men: Apocalypse soundtrack.

“Love & Loss” by Two Steps From Hell.

“Marriage Proposal” from the Young Victoria soundtrack.

“Neodammerung” from the Matrix soundtrack.

“Person of Interest” by Immediate Music.

“Prologue” by Jeremy Zuckerman from the Legend of Korra soundtrack.

“Ready for the Fight” by Epic Score.

“Redemption” by Andreas Christodoulou.

“Red Sea” from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack.

“Remember the Titans” by Audiomachine.

“Return of the King” by X-Ray Dog.

“Rise of the Abyss” by Two Steps From Hell.

“Sands of Time” by “Audiomachine.

“Shenzhou” from the Gravity soundtrack.

“Short Hair” from the Mulan soundtrack.

“Silver comforts Jim” from the Treasure Planet soundtrack.

“Superhuman” by Baby Rattle.

“The Age of Man” by Fringe Element.

“The Battle” from the Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack.

“The Burning Bush” from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack.

“The Doll Survives” from the Mulan soundtrack.

“The Fall of Man” by Groove Addicts --> this is the music I imagine when reading the Kyoshi vs Xu Ping An <3

“The Great Eatlon” by James Newton Howard.

“The Huns Attack” from the Mulan soundtrack.

“The Master Plan” from the Mulan soundtrack.

“The Moon & the Superhero” from the Hancock soundtrack.

“Their War Here” by Hanz Zimmer & Junkie XL (Batman vs. Superman soundtrack).

“The Ultimate Gift main title” from the Ultimate Gift soundtrack.

“Tornado” by Hanz Zimmer (Man of Steel soundtrack).

“Trilogy” by ATB.

“War is Coming” by Epic Score.

“We Shall Rise” by Epic Score.

“World on Fire” by Ninja Tracks.

Love

“All I Need” by Within Temptation.

“Arms” by Christina Perri.

“Beside You” by Marianas Trench.

“Back to Life” by Hailee Steinfeld.

“Boom Clap” by Charlie XCX.

“Can’t Help Falling In Love” by A*Teens.

“Crazier” by Taylor Swift.

“Everything” by Lifehouse.

“Falling in Love” by Falling Up.

“Fearless” by Taylor Swift.

“Flashlight” by Jessie J.

“First Time” by Lifehouse.

“For you I will” by Teddy Geiger.

“Hands on Me” by Vanessa Carlton.

“Here in your arms” by Hellogoodbye.

“How you get the girl” by Taylor Swift.

“I’d rather be in love” by Michelle Branch.

"Impulsive” by Wilson Phillips.

“Juliet” by LMNT.

“Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding.

“Salvation” by Gabrielle Aplin.

“She is the Sunlight” by Trading Yesterday.

“She looks so perfect” by 5 Seconds of Summer.

“Smile” by Uncle Kracker.

“Starving (feat. Zedd)” by Hailee Steinfield & Grey.

“Start of Time” by Gabrielle Aplin.

“Stolen” by Dashboard Confessional.

“Stuttering” by the Friday Night Boys.

“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran.

“Whenever, Wherever” by Shakira.

“Wish you were here” by Avril Lavigne.

“With Me” by Sum 41.

“Yellow” by Katherine Ho.

“Your body is a wonderland” by John Mayer.

“Your Guardian Angel” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Other

“I Lived” by One Republic.

“I’m Alive” by Celine Dion.

“I won’t give up” by Jason Mraz.

“Part of Me” by Katy Perry.

“Release Me” by Agnes.

“Superheroes” by The Script.

“Undefeated” by Jason Derulo. 

“Wild Heart” by Sabi.

“You’re a god” by Vertical Horizon.

Please, feel free to add to this list!

[blog-sliverofjade]

Of Doms & Subs 5: Field Trip

Pairing: Angus Hopper x OFC

Summary:  What's a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?

Word count: 1896

Of Doms & Subs Master List

“Don’t feel guilty, think of it as a bribe,” Mickayla said when she’d told me we were going shopping and I was to leave my wallet behind.  I stared at her.  “Think of trying out packs as like dating.  This is a date at a fine restaurant with a dozen roses,” she explained.  “And just like dates are a way for potential mates to prove they can provide, this is how we prove that we can take care of our members.”

“It sounds more like you’re looking for an excuse to go shopping,” I said dryly.  “But you’ll harass me until I give in, so ok.”

“You already know her so well,” Matt said with a hint of a smirk.  She elbowed him in the ribs and she only put up a token struggle when he wrapped her up in his arms.  I looked away.  The whole pack seemed to be much more touchy-feely than I was comfortable with.

“Meh, I’d go for another five minutes, tops, before I pulled the Dommy voice on you.”  She tossed her head so that Matt momentarily ended up with a face full of her hair.

“Dommy voice?”

“Dominant and mommy.  Dommy,” Matt explained, nuzzling his wife’s hair.

“Oh.”  I hid my blush by turning to shrug into my jacket.  Don’t ask if you don’t wanna know the answer.

The first stop was Pike Place Market, which was already packed despite the early hour.  Matt led the way to plow a path for us through the crowd with Mickayla following him so that all I could see was her curtain of golden hair and perky butt.  Shane was on my heels, but not so close that he was breathing down my neck.  None of the others had wanted to go shopping, preferring instead to play video games.  Some things stay the same no matter the species.

I normally treat shopping like I imagine Navy SEALs treat missions: get in, get target, and get out ASAP.  Mickayla obviously did not subscribe to this philosophy.  Most of the items we had acquired so far were for her.  I was too busy trying to ignore the din and overwhelming aromas invading my senses.  My wolf also wanted to snap at every stranger who bumped into us, which thankfully was only once or twice.  Most people took one look at my companions and steered a wide berth.

We were climbing a stairway that seemed to narrow even further and the low ceiling felt like it was pressing down on my head.  I swayed on the edge of the stair as the wolf surged up, tearing at me, wanting to run from the mass of consumers.  Pain rippled along my skin and burst like spikes in my joints until I nearly fell backward until Shane stepped forward until his firm chest allowed me to lean against him.  An instant later, Matt and Mickayla flanked me, forcing the flow of shoppers to part around the island that we made.

Normally I didn’t like people touching me.  Certainly not people I’d known less than a day and not so close as this.  But I relaxed into the warmth and comfort of their bodies.  Their combined scent surrounded me like a warm, familiar blanket.  No one said anything.  They didn’t have to.  Their eyes all had the same look of understanding.  My whole body felt raw.  If I had shifted in the middle of Pike’s Place on Labor Day weekend…

“Reason number four why packs are awesome: dominants can help when you’re about to lose it,” Mickayla said gently, having seen the panic on my face.  She slipped her arm through mine in what was becoming a familiar gesture.  “Let’s head some place a little quieter.”

The weather was a bit too grey and windy for anyone other than locals and werewolves, so we had the waterfront mostly to ourselves as we sipped hot drinks from the first Starbucks location.  The movement helped ease the need to run and calm my wolf.  After a while, Mickayla paused to check that a bench was dry before sitting and patting the spot next to her.  The men wandered a little way upwind, arguing about the game last night.

“Ok fine, you made your point,” I sighed and sank down next to her.  “What was it this time, how long I’d last before going furry?”

“Not on this one,” she shook her head and immediately had to pick strands of hair out of her mouth when the wind caught it.  “But that’s not the question you should be asking.”

I thought about that for a minute.  “What would’ve happened if ya’ll hadn’t been there.”  It was a statement, not a question.  She gave it time for the full implications of that sink in.

“You’re not used to having to rely on others.  Not since the divorce.”  I glared at her out of the corner of my eye.  I did not like being psychoanalyzed at the best of times.  This was certainly not one.

“Gee, doc, are ya gonna tell me that I use sarcasm as a defense mechanism, too?”

“If you’re so self-aware, pup, then why did we have to have this little exercise?”  She bumped my shoulder firmly with her own.

“Because you can tell a kid something’s hot, but won’t believe you till they touch it.”  I slumped down further on the bench.

“Head of the class,” she saluted me with her coffee.

“Don’t make me bite you” I grumped.

“Talk like that’ll earn you a spot as teacher’s pet,” she winked.  I groaned and shook my head at the pun before taking a sip of my drink.  It was something fancy, “full of sugar and cream and calories, everything a growing pup needs” as Mickayla had put it when she’d ordered.  Having a dominant around to step in and order was pretty nice when I was intimidated by the menu with its foreign terms and still too rattled to think straight.

“Speaking of petting.”  Mickayla laughed at the segue.  “John said that unmated females belong to the Alpha.”  That whole sentence tasted like rotten lemons, which fanned the embers of my dormant anger.  “Shit, is that the reason unmated females are second class citizens?  So we’re basically whores for the Alpha because we have no other choice?  If I won’t fuck Angus then I’m delivered to Eugene with a pretty bow?  Montana’s, what, a ‘re-education centre’ if I don’t put out?”

“Montana’s for new wolves, those who can’t control their wolf, and those who need to heal,” she said firmly.  “If you don’t want to move here or to Eugene, you can stay in Aspen Creek until you find a place and a pack you do like.  As for being second class citizens, it used to be that females couldn’t participate in dominance challenges and gained status through their mate.  While that seems to be slowly changing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be treated with respect.”

“Since I couldn’t care less about kicking butt and taking responsibility, I don’t have to worry about that, which is why I’m considered submissive in the first place,” I said with dawning comprehension.

“See, Ian was wrong, you can be taught!” Mickayla laughed with a wink.

“But what about the other… thing?”

“Wolves are very possessive,” she said slowly, as if having difficulty translating her thoughts into words.  “It’s supposed to be a way to protect the women, sometimes from unwanted attention from their packmates.  Some Alphas may take advantage of what’s meant to be a protective role, in much the same way some college professors tend to go after undergrads.”

“Are there many Alphas like that?”  I had a gut feeling that Angus was not like that, but then again, mama always said that my “picker” when it came to men was broken.

“Rape is not condoned, but since it’s not been a problem here, that’s something you would have to ask Angus, Matt, or Tom about if you’re thinking of going elsewhere.  Here, they have to answer to Angus.  If any of them so much as even make you uncomfortable he’ll have their balls in a sling because you don’t have a mate to protect you.  They all know that Matt would use their skull as a soup bowl if they so much as looked at me funny.”

Her scent had changed subtly with an almost salty quality that had nothing to do with the sea air.  She looked down with amusement at me as I sniffed her arm.  “You’re learning how to smell a lie!  About the soup bowl anyway, you don’t keep evidence lying around.  Good girl,” she said teasingly and petted my hair.  I mock growled without meeting her eyes.  She tapped my nose with a finger.  “Bad pup, no cookie.”  I straightened from my slouch with a laugh.  “Come on, let’s hit a couple of stores that’ll be quieter than tourist trap central.”

“Do I have to?” I asked tiredly.

“Sweetie,” she slung an arm around my shoulders.  “Your pants would be falling off if you didn’t have that belt tightened within an inch of its life.  I think you might have even managed to put a pleat or two in it like that, not a good look.  You need clothes that fit your new body.”  She plucked at my jacket, which tented around me before settling again.  I wasn’t necessarily fat before, but I certainly had carried more than a few extra pounds.  Two weeks in the backcountry had fixed that.  Oh, and becoming a werewolf helped, too.  I groaned in defeat and at the thought of more crowds.

Mickayla returned triumphant from the hunt, seemingly having gained the energy that the new wolf appeared to have lost.  Ellie quickly fled to her room with several large, bulging shopping bags.

“How went the great experiment?” I asked far more calmly than I felt.

“Took it like a champ, boss,” Shane answered while still untying his boots.  “Lasted ninety minutes.”

“I was ready to call it at an hour myself,” muttered Matt.  “Shrieking kids.”  We all winced in empathy.

“I’m thinking that John was doing his best to keep her isolated,” Mickayla frowned.

“Do you think he wanted her for a mate?”  My wolf paced in agitation.  He wanted to taste this John’s blood under our fangs.

“Not The Hills Have Eyes, but barefoot and not-pregnant in the kitchen…”  she grimaced.  I felt my eyes shift to gold then back as I struggled to convince my wolf that there was nothing here for us to rend.  “He told her about unmated females being under the protection of the Alpha, and led her to believe that it’s exploitive in nature,” she continued once I calmed.

“I see, thank you, Mickayla.”  I turned on my heel and retreated to my office to make a call.  Once the door was shut, it was virtually soundproofed against werewolves.  It’s good to be the king of tech.

“I’m afraid that I don’t have any news yet, Angus,” Bran said with faint amusement by way of greeting.

“I’m afraid that I do,” I said and conveyed Mickayla’s impressions of the situation.

“And you can’t question her directly without scaring her into running.”  I could readily picture him pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.  “Thank you.  Keep me apprised.”

[lonealphawolfcas]

I vow (cas x elle fluff)

This is only part one of two but Happiest birthday sin sister, love you!! @red-sharp-blade-soft-soul13

It had been two years since elle and cas tied the knot and their anniversary day was soon to come so the wolf decided to show his wife just how much she meant to him and the some because she made his lonely days beautiful and gave his grey dark world colorful light, castellano thought what better way to show her what he was feeling than to renew their vows but with special guests like her father john and close family friend bobby Which it wasn't easy to get them back he had to do few favors and call in some help But it was worth it to see her smile. The only problem is he planned to have this big party with all of this cool stuff however he had no idea how much work it would take to make it happen although his pack had no problem stepping up to help him so archie, damien, and the other teen pups took care of the music while benny, rich, caesar, and ro did the decorations as mama viv, cameron, scarlet would make the food; now that the party was taken care of cas could focus on the most important part which was rewriting his already perfect vows to say just how happy these two years of marriage have made him. Luckily for him dean, sam, and precious little ellie were keeping her busy at the bunker while everyone was at their house setting up although that didnt mean he wasnt worried all his efforts would be wasted or the surprise would be spoiled but a knock at the bedroom door brought him out of his thoughts "come in" he said in response allowing entry to the person on the other side of the door, as the door opened he saw it was his dad ben with a slightly concerned look "need help son?" He asked stepping into the large room and cas' face must have said it all because ben only looked more concerned as he sat down next to his son "cas, che cosa c'é? Having trouble?" The father asked putting his arm around cas' shoulders . The wolf man sighed looking down at the paper in his hands the words seeming to blur together "dad.....its not enough" he stated choking back his tears "what do you mean? That party downstairs is pretty damn big" cas shook his head and stood "no its not dad you dont get it" cas ran his hands through his hair, finally he just let his tears fall thinking of how much he loved her and remembering the first time they met "i love her too much dad, i mean she gave me my son and my little princess my baby girl" he sighed thinking of how much Ellie looked like her mother and the first time damien called him dada "and i can never put how much i love and need her into a speech let alone words" he huffed sitting next to his father. Ben laughed at his sons actions then gave a sigh "you know i said the same thing about your mother, i could never thank her enough or give her what she deserves but i promised to never disappoint her, hurt her, leave her, or let her down" ben nodded "and everyday i find new ways to keep that promise" he said before a voice coming from near the bedroom chimed in, "may i?".

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Mama, We All Go To Hell

[Tour!verse]

TW: Abuse, victim blaming, gaslighting, mentions of CSA

——————

Stage door wasn’t something Bessie went out to that often. It was too hectic and loud, so many people bustling around in a small space, chattering like monkeys and birds in a jungle, and snapping photos. The queens enjoyed the interactions, but that was mainly because they got hugged and praised. Nobody really knew who Bessie was, despite her two introductions. In fact, the real reason anyone even gave her a second glance was because of her silvery white hair, which seemed to be more interesting than her herself.

But it was fine. Really, it was. Bessie didn’t really care about pictures or autographs. Half of the time she was glued to Howard’s side, anyway. She just liked being around her mother.

(They were currently a week into their real mother-daughter relationship. Katherine has shown interest in actually adopting Bessie. That makes Bessie’s heart beat at least a million miles an hours.)

While waiting for stage door to end, Bessie noticed someone in the crowd from where she stood at Howard’s side. A woman with long, luscious brown and piercing grey eyes. She was a hawk amongst mice in the groups of people, a predator hiding in a pack of prey. She-

“Mum?!”

-was Catherine Pershall. Wife to John Blount.

Mother of Elizabeth Blount.

Bessie darted from Howard’s side, twisting around people to avoid running into them. Her bright eyes and beaming smile faded, however, when she got close enough to her mother to see her scowl. She skidded to a halt and drew backwards, quickly remembering that her mother didn’t like her standing close to her.

“Mum,” Bessie said again, a grin appearing on her lips again.

“That’s mother to you,” Catherine snapped, “Hello, Elizabeth.”

“Mother.” Bessie said once more, this time mainly to herself. Repeating it cements it and she just wants to jump into the woman’s arms, but she knows better. “Mother- it’s- it’s you. You’re here.” If she had a tail like a dog it would definitely be wagging. “I missed you.”

“Mmm.” Catherine hummed, uninterested. Her storm grey eyes cast over to Howard, who is watching, as well as Parr and Anna, the other two queens out during stage door. Then, she looks back down to her daughter. “What’s wrong with your hair?”

“Oh!” Bessie jumped a little and ran a hand through the bleached locks, “I bleached it! Do you like it? Kitty says it’s pretty.”

Catherine snorted and that makes Bessie’s hand freeze and then drop limply to her side.

“It’s...something. You’re killing your hair, you know. Do you want that to happen, my dear Elizabeth? Do you want your hair to fall out?” Catherine said and continued when all Bessie could do is stammer for answer, “That’ll only make you look even worse.”

Someone clears their throat and Catherine snaps her head up. She narrowed her eyes at the sparkly pink queen now standing before her.

“Can I help you?” She snapped.

“I’m just here to tell Bessie that we can go change, now.” Howard said.

“And you are?” Catherine raised an eyebrow.

“Katherine Howard.”

“Oh.” Catherine said. “You’re that queen.”

Howard clenched her jaw. Bessie reached out and gently took her head, which is squeezed- whether for reassurance or an output for Howard’s obvious anger she doesn’t quite know.

“Yes,” Howard said slowly, “I am. Let’s go get changed, Bessie.”

“Wait-” Bessie said, “My mother- Can she come?”

Katherine so badly wanted to yell, “NO!” and leave the horrid woman behind, but she couldn’t do that when Bessie was giving her the most adorable puppy dog eyes she has even seen.

(Bessie wasn’t even attempting puppy dog eyes. Her dark eyes just naturally sparkled like that.)

“Fine.” Katherine sighed.

“Thank you, Kitty!” Bessie gave her a quick hug and then beamed at her mother, “Come on, mum!” She bounds into the backstage area, followed by Catherine, who Howard glares at when she passes by.

There was something about that woman she didn’t like.

—————

That night, Maggie was awoken by the sound of rushing sink water. She pried open her eyes and rolled out of bed, groaning when the faucet didn't turn off. Grumbling something about Joan being so sleep deprived that she couldn't even turn off the water, she trudged to the bathroom to find a quaking figure hunched over the sink.

“Bessie?” Maggie called out, squinting in the bright fluorescent lights, “What the hell and you doing?”

Bessie jolted up. Her hair is soaked and fading to brown at the roots.

“I-I'm sorry!” The girl yelped, “I-I didn't mean to wake you.”

Maggie rubbed her eyes and furrowed her brows.

“What are you doing?”

“Washing my hair out.” Bessie mumbled, staring down at the clumps of hair in the sink that had fallen out from her vigorous scrubbing.

“In the sink?”

Bessie nods.

“In the middle of the night?”

Another nod.

“Even though you love your hair beached?”

A third nod, although this one seems more self conscious. Maggie sighed.

“Ellie, is this because of what that witch said at the stage door? Kat said she-”

“That ‘witch’ is my mother." Bessie hissed, bristling herself up, “And she was right. I shouldn't be ruining my hair. So I'm cleaning it.”

“Ellie...”

“Go to bed.” Bessie snapped, “I don't need to be criticized.”

Maggie stood there before a moment before sighing and retreating down the hall. While doing so, she heard a tiny, “Night” and “Love you” and her heart clenches even tighter.

—————

Much to Bessie's dismay, she finds that only the top of her head was brown, while everything else was still bleached.

—————

Catherine was at the theater again the next day, standing around backstage like she owned the place. She couldn't help but sneer when she saw the mess that was her daughter's hair when she arrived. Others noticed, too, as crew members tittered when they laid eyes on the ugly mishmash of white and brown.

“Are you trying to mock my words, Elizabeth?” Catherine asked, glaring down at her spawn.

“No, mother,” Bessie shook her head quickly, “I was listening to you, actually! I was trying to wash the bleach out.”

Catherine quirked a brow at the girl's obedience.

“Oh?”

“I promise, mother. You were right.”

“Good girl, then ," Catherine slipped a hand under Bessie's chin, using the other to tickle the hairs on the side of the bassist’s head, “Why don't I help you get the rest out?”

Bessie's eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly, excited to spend time with her mother. Catherine leads her down the hall with a hand on her back. The touch was warm, a more welcoming feeling than the sink water.

Dark water. Bessie is now trapped in a powerful undertow and is being dragged through her past life.

She was Elizabeth “Bessie” Blount. Not Lizzie, not Eliza, not Beth. Bessie. Daughter of John Blount and Catherine Pershall. The oldest of many siblings. That made her valuable, her mother says. Spendable.

Her mother and father were always bickering. They acted like two angry cats when around each other, glaring and hissing and giving warning signs. Everyone said the two of them hated their daughter, but Bessie never believed it. Even when they said it to her face, she never really believed it.

Bessie remembered so much from when she lived in that house they shared. She slept in a small room, bundled up with blankets and carpets. Sometimes, she would sneak out and watch her mother at night as she worked, waiting for her to look over and smile. That’s all Bessie ever wanted. A sign that there was hidden kindness inside of the woman.

She never did look her way.

That’s when Bessie realized she had to prove herself to get attention. So, she started to become stronger, faster, smarter. Although she was incredibly intelligent and educated, her parents said the only thing that’ll get her places were her looks. So, she once snagged a pretty silver necklace from a teenage boy who thought more with his penis than his mind and rushed back home, a little hop in her step as she went.

“Mother!” The ten year old girl cried out, “Mother!”

Her mother’s head peeked out from behind a door, scowling. Catherine glared at her daughter, appearing as venomous and dangerous as a king cobra.

“I told you not to come back until dark,” She snapped, then added quietly, “Or not come back at all.”

“I know, but-” Bessie scrambled to hold up the necklace, “I got this for you!”

Something glimmered in Catherine’s cold grey eyes. She slithered out from her work area and stood in front of Bessie, huge in comparison.

“Did you now?” She said, peering at the necklace, “Did you buy it?”

“No,” Bessie shook her head quickly, “Not really. I...haggled for it. With a boy. For you!”

“I see.”

Warm fingers slipped between Bessie’s and her excitement grew. Her mother never touched her this gently before. Her hard work was finally paying off!

Catherine plucked up the necklace and she looks at it closely. Then, she smiled. Bessie nearly fainted right then and there.

“I’ve taught you well, haven’t I?” She said with sweetness that Bessie latched onto.

“Yes, mother!”

Catherine nodded and then whipped the girl across the face with the round pendant.

“Apparently not. If you get something nice, you keep it.”

Pain streaks across Bessie’s cheeks. There’s a sharp sensation in her shoulders; her mother shoves her into the wall like she’s nothing more than a sack of sand. Shoes crunch down on her fingers when she falls down to her hands and knees.

“Out here, nobody is ever going to take care of you! Nobody cares! You fend for yourself!”

Catherine was two seconds away from breaking her daughter’s hand when someone cleared their throat from the doorway. She turned, nearly uprooting Bessie’s fingernails from way her heel twists on her fingertips, and saw her husband standing there, his amber eyes glittering in the pale sunlight slipping in through the curtains.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

“Teaching our wretched daughter a lesson.” Catherine hissed.

“Ah.”

Through her tears, Bessie could see the shape of her father lumbering over. She wanted him to bat her mother away and scoop her up in his arms. She wanted to go to the kingdom with him, escape the clutter and clamor of their town. She knew he wanted that, too.

She wanted him to help.

But instead, he cracked the back of his hand across her face and snarled at her.

Bessie wished she could she say she stopped wanting attention, but she didn’t. She still tried to do everything in her power to get them to love her.

They never did.

Then the risk of moving back to the countryside came upon the Blount family. Catherine was livid. She had paced around the living room, yelling curses' to God for doing this to her while her husband watched on with a bored expression. Suddenly, however, she stopped.

She remembered her ties with the soon-to-be queen, Catherine of Aragon. Before Arthur's death, she had been a lady in waiting. Surely Her Majesty wouldn't mind an old friend working in her court. Or, rather, an old friend's spawn...

“Elizabeth!” Catherine shouted, startling her husband out of his daze. She heard a yelp from another room and her absolutely tiny, eleven-year-old daughter scurried up to her.

“Y-yes, mum?" Bessie asked.

Catherine glares.

“Mother.” She corrected.

“What do you think about going to London?" Catherine said, crouching down in front of the child. She made sure to slip fake gentleness in her voice, knowing it would help sway her daughter further.

“London?” Bessie squeaked, glancing at her father, who was paying attention with mild interest, “We're-”

“No.” Catherine cut her off right off the bat, “Not us. Just you.”

“Just me?" Bessie repeated. "I-I-”

Catherine breathed out a harsh breath at the little wretch's stupidity. She set her jaw and stamped, down her nerves.

“You are going to London.” Catherine explained, “You are going to be a lady in waiting to the queen. Do you understand me?”

“But-”

“Do you understand me?”

Catherine's harsh voice grows fainter. The vision of her is getting obscured by a stream of bubbles.

“Yes, mother.”

Bessie surfaces from the water with violent coughing. She gasps and wheezes, air slowly soothing her burning lungs. Cold droplets cascade down her reddened face.

“Mother, mother,” She rasped out, "Mother, please...”

The hand tangled in her drenched hair, gripping into the back of her skull, tightens. The grasp pulls backwards, tilting her head back with it, and Catherine stoops down slightly to glower right in her face.

“What?” She snaps.

“Please...please just,” Bessie sputters and coughed painfully, "G-give me...a moment..please...”

“I'm trying to fix you.” Catherine said, “You don't have time to wait. You'll need to go on soon.”

“Please-” Bessie’s pitched plea was cut off by a mouthful of water.

Catherine's long, pointy painted fingernails raked through Bessie's hair, scraping down the skin on her head. They dig it like hooks when she scrubs, and the intensity of the water spraying out of the faucet doesn't help Bessie's stinging scalp.

The need for air flared up again and Bessie started to cry out, but her scream was muffled. Water filled her mouth and she started to struggle. Her arms flew out, hitting Catherine a few times. Her head is yanked backwards and a hand cracks across her face.

“You vile little brat!” Catherine roared, glaring down at her spawn, who is on the floor, coughing up water. “I am trying to help you! Are you that ungrateful?”

“No, no,” Bessie sputters, “No, mother. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. P-please forgive me. Please.”

Catherine’s snarl turns into a wicked smile when she watches her child squirm and cower beneath her. She crouches down in front of her and lifted her chin, tickling the girl’s contracting throat with the tips of her pointy nails.

“Are you really sorry?” Catherine muses, “Tell me. Are you sorry?”

“Y-yes, mother,” Bessie stammers, “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Good.” Catherine hums and stood up, dragging Bessie up with her, “Shall we continue? You still have some white parts.”

For five more minutes, Bessie allows her mother to dunk her under the large metal sink they found in an old storage closet. Eventually, Catherine says they’re done and Bessie is allowed to go back to her dressing room, once again with Catherine’s hand resting on her back.

Bessie keeps her mouth shut as Catherine yanks a brush through her soaked hair. She’s still drenched and shivers in the chair she’s seated in.

“Bessie, you-” Parr stopped in the doorway of the dressing room. She furrowed her eyebrows at the scene before her, “What are you doing?”

“I’m brushing my daughter’s hair.” Catherine answered innocently, “What are YOU doing?”

“I came to get Bessie.” Parr said, “Joan needs her.”

Bessie looked at Catherine, who waves a hand for her to go. She nodded and skittered out with Parr.

“You’re soaked.” Parr said, “And you’re shivering. What happened?”

“My mum was washing my hair out.” Bessie answered.

“Why? I thought you liked your hair bleached.”

“Yeah, but SHE didn’t.” Bessie mumbled. She ended the conversation at that, hurrying ahead to get to the stage. When she crossed the threshold, first she heard the gathering crowd behind the curtain and then Joan’s panicked voice.

“Can you all PLEASE just hurry! Come on, we go on in fifteen, Maud isn’t- isn’t here, and- BESSIE WHY ARENT YOU DRESSED?!”

Bessie jumped when Joan yelled at her. She heard a few people behind the curtain, probably those in the first row, giggle and murmur.

“I- I-”

“Go get dressed!” Joan cries, flapping her arms like a distressed jungle bird, “Go! Go!”

Bessie obeys, scrambling back to her dressing room. When she returns, Joan is crying into her hands at the stool in front of her keyboard. Jane is crouched next to her, rubbing her back and murmuring sweet things to her.

“Is she okay?”

Jane looks up at Bessie and smiles warmly.

“Yes,” She said, “She’s just tired and that makes her stressed”

“I’m sorry, Bessie,” Joan wept into her hands, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I know how you don’t like it when people yell at you and I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She continued to blubber until Jane pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head. Simply seeing her like that made Bessie’s heart flutter. She wanted her mother to do that.

“It’s alright, honey” Jane tells Joan, “You’re tired.”

“Yeah, it’s okay, Joan!” Bessie says.

Joan sniffled and then nods.

“Are YOU okay, though?”

Bessie blinked and turned around to face Howard.

“Uhh… Yeah.”

“Are you sure?” Howard pressed.

“Yes.” Bessie said more firmly, storming over to her spot. She doesn’t look at Howard, rather just prepares her bass. She had to make this one of her best shows.

Mother was watching.

—————

The moment the curtains closed, Bessie was off the stage. She was soaked in sweat and her face was red from all the dancing she did, but she still beamed, especially when she faced her mother in the wings.

“Well?” She pants, even though she hadn’t sung or spoken during the performance, “What’d you think?”

Catherine’s mouth was a flat line for a long time as she toiled over what she had just watched.

“You…play the bass.” She finally spoke.

“Yup!” Bessie grins.

“You just play the music.”

“I mean…that’s what bassists do.”

“No speaking parts.”

“I’m not one of the queens.”

“You could have been.”

“What?”

“I said you could have been,” Catherine repeats, “You we’re in a relationship with Henry, were you not? You could have married him if you stuck around.”

“Mother… I was exiled…” Bessie whispered. Her mother’s uncaring features did not change.

“Now whose fault is that?”

—————

Aragon didn’t hate Bessie. Not really. Sure, she acted like she did, but deep down, somewhere, she still cared about the girl. After all, they had been very close, like mother and daughter, and a relationship like that isn’t easy to break, no matter how hard she tries.

That being said, watching Catherine treat Bessie like garbage made anger bubble up inside of her. Yes, she, too, wasn’t the nicest to Bessie, but bullying the kid was something only SHE was allowed to do. Certainly not a parent. In fact, Catherine should be DEFENDING her daughter, not needle her.

But she isn’t.

Aragon knew something was off about Catherine right off the bat. She remembered comments Bessie made about her mother in their past life, which were always concerning,

(“Who does that little one belong to?” Aragon asked, gazing over at the tiny child against the wall, “Where are her parents? Poor thing is shaking!”

“Her parents aren’t here, my lady,” The maid answered. “She was sent here alone. That’s Catherine’s little one. Your newest lady.”

“Catherine?”

“Pershall.”

“Ah.”)

When Arthur was still alive, Aragon remembered a Catherine Pershall tending to her. What a strict, cold woman she was. Those old memories of young Bessie were something Aragon pushed down as much as possible, but they bubble back up at certain moments. Like right now, with Bessie’s face bright red and eyes glistening with tears.

She saw the girl cry a lot in their past life.

(“Wh-why would they do that to it?” She asked after witnessing her first bear-baiting.)

(“M-my mama said she would come.” She whimpered when her mother didn’t visit on her birthday.)

(“I-I… I think I’m pregnant.” She rasped out when she spent an entire morning throwing up.)

However, Aragon has not been faced with a broken bass plus a very pissed off music director.

“What did you do?!” Joan cried. Despite her tired, glassy eyes and the dark bags weighing beneath them, she looked like a blizzard when angry, “Do you know how much that bass cost?!”

A crowd has formed on the stage, drawn out by all the shouting.

“Joan, I’m sure it was an accident,” Jane said, trying to calm Joan down.

“Accident?!” Joan shrieked, “Does THIS look like an accident to you?!”

She snatched up a chunk of the bass, which was in pieces, and waved it in the air.

“I-I’m sorry…” Bessie whispered.

“You’re sorry?” Joan chortled, “Sorry won’t fix the bass!”

Bessie’s bottom lip quivered and she looked down. Howard, loyal as ever, set a hand on her back for comfort.

“Come on, honey,” She murmured to the girl. The two of them walk back to the dressing rooms. Aragon soon followed. When at the top of the stairs, she noticed that Catherine had stopped Howard and Bessie.

“Elizabeth, come.” Catherine ordered.

“She isn’t a dog.” Howard growled, glaring at the woman.

“Ah yes,” Catherine nodded, “You’re right, She ISN’T you.”

Bessie gasped and even Aragon’s eyes widened a little. Howard was frozen.

“Mother-!!” Bessie yelped, but shut her mouth when Catherine glared at her.

“Come here, Elizabeth.” Catherine said firmly and her daughter obeys. “And you,” She glared at Howard, “Leave us.”

Howard was rigid for a moment, then walked away, despite the pleading look Bessie was giving her.

“Why did you say that to her?” Bessie asked quietly, ”You hurt her feelings, mother…”

“Good.” Catherine knelt down in front of Bessie and cupped either sides of her face, “I don’t want to see you around that woman anymore. Do you understand me?”

“But-”

“Do you understand me?” Catherine repeated firmly.

“Yes ma’am…”

“Good.” Catherine smiled, “I’m the only one you’ll ever need, baby girl. I’m the only one who can really love you. I’m all that you need. Wouldn’t you like that?”

Movement caught Catherine’s eye. She set her jaw and stood up, patting Bessie’s shoulder.

“Go wait for me in the lobby, Elizabeth.”

Once her daughter is gone she calls out, “What do you need, Catalina?”

Aragon strides up to her, eyes narrowed.

“I know you broke the bass.” She accused.

“Yes, and?” Catherine brushed the claim off, “Playing that thing is a waste of time. She was nothing while standing in the background.“

“So you destroy her things?” Aragon growled.

“What’s it to you?” Catherine quirked a brow, “I thought you hated the little pest.”

“I was still more of a mother to her than you ever were.” Aragon said, to which Catherine merely shrugs and turns away.

“Not anymore.”

[madphantom]

Phantasm - Chapter 10

Eventually Phoenix got used to this strange new life she was living. She woke up every morning to Winslow having made breakfast, that was a plus. She had to listen to interrogations for the next five hours, that was a minus. Admittedly, most of the time she was watching behind the two-way mirror, but there were times when she came over to help, like when Swan's secretary Mary Margaret Amato had suddenly gotten a panic attack.

Michael, who had interrogated her, turned to the mirror, mouthing help, what did I do now? John got up, but hesitated, and suddenly Phoenix found herself standing up and coming into the room to give the girl a hug. She turned around and saw Winslow giving two thumbs up from the door.

It was rather surprising, but the next day Phoenix found a letter from Dunphy in her mailbox.

"Dear Phoenix,

we're not sure whether you have the time for it, or the will, but we would love to invite you over to our home in Dunphy for a weekend. We've heard about your connection to Winslow on TV and on the radio, and we would love to meet you to find out a bit about his last months.

You have to know that we were never notified of his passing, neither his alleged nor his actual death. We only found out while watching the news and it hit us like a brick. We had been very worried for the months before because he'd stopped calling, but still the fact that he was gone was a shock for us all.

We want to know what happened to our beloved brother and son and try to understand why we lost him. And we were hoping that maybe, just maybe, you could help us doing so.

Our home will be your home. We will do our best to make it a pleasant stay for you.

Sincerely,

The Leach Family

(Joan, Harry, Lucy, Emmy, Jenny, Ellie and Sandy)"

She looked at Winslow and saw that he was nervously chewing his lip.

"Are you going?", he finally asked.

"Do you want to?", she replied.

He bit his lip and stared at his shoes.

"Kinda."

"Then we're going."

He raised his head and stared at her.

"Seriously?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Why not?"

"Thank you!" He hugged her.

They left New York by car. Technically Winslow could drive, but they didn't want to risk being spotted without driver, so Phoenix sat behind the wheel while Winslow navigated her. They were going further and further up North. Forests replaced the cities.

"We're getting closer," Winslow said at some point.

"How do you know?", Phoenix wanted to know. "There's been trees all around us for two hours!"

"Exactly." He laughed and leaned back.

"You missed it. Didn't you?", Phoenix asked after a brief silence.

Winslow glanced at her. "Kinda. I'm just not a city kid." He smiled.

Suddenly the trees opened into a rolling field full of flowers. Winslow jumped up in his seat.

"It's still there!", he exclaimed. Phoenix could see his eyes were sparkling. "Oh my God! It's still there!"

"Want me to stop for a moment?", Phoenix chuckled.

"Yes!"

Phoenix stopped the car on the side of the road and they got out. The air smelled of grass and summer.

"I want to show you something," Winslow suddenly said.

"What is it?", Phoenix asked.

"It's a surprise. Just...take my hand if you don't mind..."

Phoenix hesitated for a second. Then she took his hand.

"Hold on tightly." Winslow smiled and darted off. Phoenix screamed when they suddenly rose up, and soared into the blue sky, high, far above the hill. She held on tightly to Winslow and he held on tightly to her.

She uttered another scream, this time a scream of joy. "Oh my God! This is amazing!"

"You like it?" Winslow was laughing.

"I love it!", Phoenix screamed. She looked down at the grass blowing in the wind far below. It was beautiful. The same wind was blowing through her hair and she laughed and she knew that she'd never felt as free before. She screamed when Winslow suddenly dove into a cloud. "Oh my Goooood!"

"You like it?"

"Yeeees!" She laughed and wrapped her arms tighter around him. They darted up, towards the sun, then stopped far above the ground, floating between heaven and earth.

Phoenix was clutching to Winslow. He laughed. "You like the view?"

"Absolutely, but for the love of God don't drop me!"

"I promise, I won't."

Phoenix felt that they were gently floating back down. They broke through the clouds and came closer and closer to the field. Phoenix' hand slid over the treetops as they floated back down and then her feet gently touched the grass.

Then she spotted a small house on the other side of the field. By the way Winslow was gazing at it she knew it was his home.

"Do you want to come along right away?", Phoenix asked. "To see everyone again?"

Winslow bit his lip.

"Actually, I thought I'd come in somewhere else."

Phoenix shrugged her shoulders. "Alright. See ya."

"See you." He disappeared.

Phoenix took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

An elderly woman with grey curls opened the door.

Phoenix smiled nervously. "Hi...I'm Phoenix."

Without words, the woman hugged her.

[weroyals]

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑬𝑻 ✦— 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

FULL NAME. Nick Valentine NICKNAME. Nicky GENDER. Male HEIGHT. 6'3″ AGE. ~100 ZODIAC.  Capricorn   ( based on human Nick’s birthday ) SPOKEN LANGUAGES. English, French, Latin, Italian, Spanish

𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

HAIR COLOR. N/A EYE COLOR. Goldenrod SKIN TONE.  Pale yellowy grey BODY TYPE.  Trim and sturdy VOICE.  Low, deep, with a classical Transatlantic accent DOMINANT HAND. Ambidextrous, but favors the right POSTURE.  Tends to stand properly with his back straight, but to sit with a slight slouch SCARS.  Minor to moderate scarring on much of his body, especially his face. Pronounced scars in his lip and brow. Severe tearing in both cheeks, jaw, neck, and clavicle which expose his inner workings. Moderate tearing in hips and sides. Missing the flesh on his right hand and part of the forearm. Missing flesh on part of the right foot. TATTOOS.  N/A BIRTHMARKS.  N/A MOST NOTICEABLE FEATURE(S).  Clearly nonhuman eyes which glow in low light; distinctive skin colour; stripped right hand

𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 !

PLACE OF BIRTH.  The Institute  ( CIT ) HOMETOWN.  N/A SIBLINGS. DiMA  ( brother ) PARENTS. N/A

𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 !

OCCUPATION.  Private Detective CURRENT RESIDENCE. Diamond City CLOSE FRIENDS. John Hancock, Piper Wright, Ellie Perkins, Sole Survivor, Danielle Conagher RELATIONSHIP STATUS. Single FINANCIAL STATUS.  Secure ;    doesn’t want for anything, but isn’t wealthy DRIVER’S LICENSE. N/A CRIMINAL RECORD.  None VICES. Smoking; Self-destructive behaviour; Self-deprecation

𝐬𝐞𝐱 & 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 !

SEXUAL ORIENTATION. Bisexual PREFERRED EMOTIONAL ROLE. submissive | dominant | switch PREFERRED SEXUAL ROLE. submissive | dominant | switch LIBIDO. Low to middling TURN ON’S.  Altruism, confidence, strong personality, protectiveness, warmth, intelligence, sexy voice, praise, snappy clothes, someone who knows what they want, gentle touch TURN OFF’S.  Callousnsess, rudeness, aggression towards him, aggression towards weaker folks, sarcasm, crassness, lack of self-respect, rude language used to describe him as a machine LOVE LANGUAGE. Inclined to touch the other person; uses pet names more often; uses gentler tones when speaking in private; touches his face/forehead to them; becomes more protective over that person; becomes more inclined to offer to share things with that person RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES. Tries to spend as much time as he can spare around the other person; secretly feels like he has to earn attention; becomes pleased when given attention; likely to give gifts though he’ll barely accept them himself; finds places to take the other person for prewar-style dates

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 !

CHARACTER’S THEME SONG. The Two Of Us - Mark Isham HOBBIES TO PASS TIME. Collects and reads prewar books, listens to jazz music, occasionally takes walks by the waterfront or visits The Third Rail in Goodneighbor LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED. Right PHOBIAS. N/A SELF CONFIDENCE LEVEL.  High VULNERABILITIES.  Unsure of his appearance; identity issues; history with the Institute; feelings of rejection by his creators

[leelee10898]

For you: This I promise you (10/?)

Pairing: Leo x Aria (Mc) Rating; Fluff/ NSFW Chapter inspiration: Nsync - This I promise You. Catch up HERE

"I'm going to miss you today. " she stood on her tip toes placing a kiss on his lips. "I'll only be gone a few hours, and besides you should spend time with your family before our flight leaves tonight." He tightened his arms around her waist. Leo was heading to New York for a few hours to check on the Penthouse. He also had plans to meet up with an old friend, which Aria had no idea about. Leo got into the car and headed down the drive way, before disappearing onto the highway.

About an hour and a half drive Leo arrived in New York. He swung by the penthouse checking the mail and taking care of a few things that needed his attention. I had been months since they were there last. He checked the time. 11:45. He had plans to meet up with someone at 12. He went down to the garage, he eyed his bike, but decided on the rental since he had a few things he wanted to take with him.

He drove a few blocks, parking the car walking up to a building. "Well you're a sight for sure eyes. How you doing old man?" He chuckled. "Ha funny Rhys, you're not to far behind."

"Its good to see you Percy." He patted him on the back. "So, you ready?" Percy eyed him. Leo took a deep breath and smiled "absolutely."

They walked into the high end jewelry store. A petite woman walked from around the counter. "Mr Rhys I presume?" She extended her hand.

"Yes." He took it shaking it. "I'm Grace, I will be helping you today. Is this your fiancee?" Leo started coughing. "He wishes." Percy clasped him on the back. "No, he is here for moral support." They glanced around the room Leo, looking for the perfect ring. "Tell me why you aren't using the ring you already bought her." Percy asked. "Because she has already seen it, she had it on her when she was shot. New beginning, new ring." Leo insisted. "You think you'd be a pro at this by now Rhys. This is what, your 4th engagement ring." He chuckled. Leo shot him a stern look. "I didn’t buy Madeline's, that was taken care of for me. Katie got the first ring I seen, because I didn't really care. And you remember the Aria's first ring. It has to be perfect."

"Oh, I remember spending 4 hours in that Italian Jewelry store." He rolled his eyes.

"How's Athena?" Leo changed the subject. "Shes good, stressing planning the wedding. I think she may kill the wedding planner." He chuckled.

Leo stopped settling on a beautiful rose gold three stone Halo band. The brilliant round cut stone sparkling against the lights. "This one." He pointed, it was gorgeous. "Ah excellent selection Mr Rhys. This is a 1.60 carat stone, the clarity vs2, color G. It is a stunning choice if I say so myself." Grace said picking up the ring "If you are certain we can start the paperwork."

A short time later they exited the store. Leo couldn't rid himself of the huge grin that spread across his face. "Well Rhys, I got to get back to Athena. I plan to take her to dinner tonight. Tell peanut I said hello, and Congratulation man. Its about time you locked her down." He chuckled.

Leo walked back to the car, he put the ring in his duffel bag and headed back. It was late afternoon when Leo arrived back to her parents house. John walked around the side of the house "ah your back, Linda and Aria got dinner just about done. You ah, you get what you went for?" John approached the car. The grin on Leo's face told him all he needed to know. Leo pulled the box from his bag, handing it to John. "Damn boy that's a beauty, what this set you back 5 grand?" He handed Leo the box back. "17, but the money doesn't matter, not when it comes to Aria." He tucked the ring back into his bag. "You spent $17,000 on a ring!?!?" John hollered. "I don't know if I should be grateful you love my daughter that much, or shaking my head for spending that much." He chuckled. Just then Linda came to the front door hollering out for them to come get dinner. Once inside Leo pulled Aria into a hug, giving her a long kiss. She could feel the grin on his face. "I missed you too, what's with you?" She giggled. "I'm just happy to see you. And happy to be heading back to Italy with you."

After dinner, they loaded their bags into the car, and said their goodbyes to her parents before heading to the airport. They met up Ellie and Maxwell before they boarded the royal Jet. Aria was tired so she slept most of the flight. Once he knew she was fast asleep Leo made his way over to Ellie. "I want to show you something." He said as he pulled the box from his carry on. Her hands flew up to her face, "oh my God, your gonna propose? When?"

"When we get to Italy. I have it planned out, but don't say anything ok."

Ellie could hardly contain her excitement, but she agreed to keep quiet. After a long flight they finally touched down. They made their way to the hotel to drop their things off and get some rest. They woke the next day and hung out at the hotel with their friends. Leo had made arrangements for the two of them for dinner, he wanted everything to go smoothly. It had been a long 24 hours but he was anxious to take the next step in their relationship. After am excellent meal, they decided to walk back to the hotel, It was a beautiful night.

"Do you remember this place?" Leo stopped in front of a small cafe. "Of course I do, how could I forget."

"That day, changed my life forever. I didn’t know how bad I needed you, until you crashed into my life."

"You mean literally." She giggled.

" we have had our fair share of ups and downs, that's for sure. But everything thrown at us, we have come out stronger." He grinned. "Aria, you are the light of my life. Your strength and faith in me, makes me want to be a better man, it makes me strive to be the best man for you and our babies." He touched her stomach. "Leo, you are an amazing man, and you are going to be an amazing father."

"I have something for you " he pulled out a ring, attached to a necklace, her ring, the 1st ring he bought her.

"Leo, I thought I lost this." She gasped. "I found it, that night. That night was the worst night of my life. I was terrified, but it also told me that this ring, represented our past. And I don't want to live in the past, I want to look forward to the future. "

"Its beautiful, will you put it on me?" She turned around lifting her hair. Leo put the chain around her neck, his shaking hands fumbled to close the clasp. "Are you ok?" She asked. She felt the ring settle onto her chest "so how does it look?" she turned around to Leo, down in one knee a gorgeous ring staring back at her. Her hand flew over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. "Aria, love of my life. I love you more then words could ever Express, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?" The tears were falling now, happy tears. She shook her head yes, "yes, Leo. I will marry you." He slipped the ring on her finger quickly as he shot up to his feet, pulling her into a heated kiss. They didn’t notice the small crowd that had formed around them until the cheers and applause pulled them from their kiss. They both chuckled "come on, let's go back to the hotel." Leo whispered into her ear.

Once they made it to the room, his lips were on hers. As his fingers worked to unzip her dress, letting it pool at her feet. He lifted her up bridal style and carried her across the room laying her down on the bed. He unclasped her bra tossing it across the room, his fingers hooked her panties as he slid them down her legs as his lips kissed fiery trails up her thigh, settling between her legs. "You have made me the happiest man in the world, and now I am going to show you" he parts her folds with his fingers "just how" he kisses her clit. "Happy I am." He flattens his tongue running it from her center to her clit, as he flicks and swirls it around her sensitive bud. She gasps at the sensation, her fingers finding his hair as she lightly tugs his face forward.

 He slides in two digits, slowly pumping them in and out. Her legs start to shake. "Leo, oh god." She moaned out as she climaxes. A large grin forms on his face as he continues to lick and suck on her overly sensitive bundle of nerves. She tries to shut her legs but his strong arms hold them open. She feels the fire building again as he continues to eat her like a starved man. "Fuck, Leo, oh my god." She screams out as she gives into another orgasm. Finally he pulls back, wiping his face with the back of his hand. He snakes up her body, hovering over her. His lips capture hers in a searing kiss. He pulls back settling onto his knees as he pulls her up to him, he lines his thick long length up with her center and slowly slides himself in. "Mmmmmm" she moans.

 He starts off at a slow, tantalizing pace his thrust long and delightful. Her breathing un even, shes savoring the feeling of the build up. He quickens the pace just a bit, just enough to drive her wild. "Mmmm Leo, God your amazing. " she moans. "No baby, it's you that is amazing. You feel so good on my cock." he picked up the pace again, faster, shallow pumps. He lifted her legs into the air, holding her ankles. "Oh fuck Leo. God yes." He could feel her coming undone, her walls fluttering, legs shaking, he watched her as she writhed in pleasure, gripping the sheets. A low primal growl escaped his throat as he watched her come undone, because of him, the satisfaction was to much to bear.

 "That’s right, Cum with me baby, let go Aria." She trembled from the extacy she felt. "Oh, yes Leo, Leo." His name flew off her lips like a prayer his eyes rolled back into his head as he thrust deep into her, spurting velvety tops of his seed into her.

He lowered her legs slowly, dropping to her side. He pulled her face towards him. "I love you Aria, and I can not wait to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife."

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