#I still have dem bat wings

[scourgeofshadows]

PFFT! I forgor about these too

[peaterookie]

Found this cool drawing i made, possibly a concept of demon lupin before i made his actual design.

orrr it could just be a cool outfit i wanted to draw on him. either way it made me want to also share my other concepts of dem lup and ang goe and explain my design

i knew the first one wasnt gonna be final obvs because i was kinda thinking on dem lup's initial role. when i landed on him being kinda the prince of the underworld and deciding he aint for that i wanted to show through his outfit that he's carefree and chill but also has a rich kid vibe lol

seeing the lupin's canon design already sorta shows it I didn't really change much of it in the end. the punkish? outfit above was just too extra for him imo

before i wanna show the design i landed on I also wanna mention this drawing since this was the drawing that started the au in the first place. i casually drew this in class along with angel goemon, and lupin was the only one that ended up getting redrawn on digital.

ok there we go

this was very rough and rushed since I didn't really think this au was really gonna be serious and stuff (still isn't but im sorta invested in developing it in my head now)

one thing youll notice is that lupin's horns are red for most of these drawings and also much longer. while this is fine i decided to change it to stubby white horns later on for a more symbolic reason.

Lupin's personality is this au is leaning more on cagli lupin with some roughness to it. he's deep down a kindhearted character. bros totally fucking chill he's really not evil at all. but given how he's raised in a pretty fucked up and evil place he still behaves a bit like a rat

to show that behind that scary and evil exterior, his horns are white to show his purity and kindness. they're also stubby to show his lack of aggression

demon's horns in this au also show their inherent mental and physical health in a way. if they're long and sharp they are healthy, if it's the opposite they're probably not doing so well. I'll let you guys figure out what this could mean for lupin.

let's move onnn tooo goemonn

the main reason why that first reference above was not kept was because of how bad the outfit for goemon was, i was honestly embarrassed at myself even then for not figuring out something better and i really struggled to make the colors work LMAO

eventually as i developed his personality and beliefs, the more this got easier for me and i finally arrived at the design you see now.

i think you can tell at this point that i really really love using colors to convey symbolism throughout my designs.

for this au it is primarily white and black. white represents what you typically think of the angel, a purehearted being. and black is the impure and demonic color, it represents the ugly side of things. even then black does not represent evil or should be interpretted as a sign that the character is bad.

this is especially with goemon. the outfit you see above is the one he adorns after he has accepted his demon half.

before this his outfit would have been completely white, to show the repression of the trait that he felt hatred and disgust towards because he has been taught that it was dirty and ugly. lupin would end up helping him realize that it is not the case and he should accept the way he is.

but yeah anyways this design is way better lmao. also note that i also changed his wings to be half-bird half-bat, so this means he would not be able to fly during the beginning because he wants to conceal his demon side. it is not only ruining him mentally but also physically.

anyways, since ive explained lupin's personality i should also explain what I've changed for goemon too. i think it's best to say that its a combination of anime and manga goe, since he is a bit more serious, stubborn, and misguided, but still has the gentle and graceful mannerisms of manga goe. he's also a bit sassier too, he counters and compliments lupin's carefreeness

anyways this is like totally not organized at all lol, I just wanted to ramble on about these designs since I've put a lotta thought into it and wanted to share it given the nice feedback i got on the reference post. (if you haven't seen it, check it out!)

since my job is done now, I'll see you guys later. bye!

[scribblestatic]

You know, I had thought I'd posted more birdZuku before now, but it turned out it was all sent to a friend on Discord lol

So here's some more birdZuku drabbles, copied over.

--

I'm thinking about Harpy Izuku. And how, as a baby, he had dem tiny wings.

The first time, as a toddler, when Inko holds him in front of a fan, he just instinctually starts flap flappin.

He's just running around the house all excited, like a chick. He learned how to walk very quickly, but speaking came to him a bit slower cause he'd chirp and trill instead.

And he likes perching on things. The sofa in their house has holes in it where his talons snagged on the back.

And, when he was a lil bebe, just wearing a T-shirt and a diaper, Inko put him in front of a fan because he was laid out on the kitchen floor to get cool.

And he perks up and just starts flappin.

He doesn't even have his flight feathers in, he's all fluff feathers. But he's practicin!

His lil baby feathers go all over the place. Enough for a small pillow. Inko collects them for little pillows that he still has when he gets older.

There's lots of little small pillows filled with his baby fluff. Izuku later thinks it's embarrassing…but he still sleeps with at least one of them at night.

Izuku got lots of hugs as a baby. Not only because Inko loves him, but also, her boy soff.

And Izuku just cuddles his neck in and blinks slowly till he's asleep.

When it's naptime, he'd always be softly peeping, hiding his head against his mom's stomach so he can sleep.

----

Toddler Izuku hop hoppin along the ground until he gets to Aunty Mitsuki and trying to climb up on the couch so he can sit with her.

Also, his peets are more his hands than the little clingers he has where he would've been. So Inko makes him special mittens so he doesn't scratch up everything.

But he kinda sits back on his butt and reaches out for things with his lil peets when he wants something.

It's why his handwriting is literal chicken scratch. His ring and pinkie fingers are the long part of the wing while he does still have a thumb, pointer, and middle finger right at the wing arch. But they're usually tucked away and hidden under his feathers.

He mostly uses them the same way bats use their thumbs and they aren't that great at doing much else than grabbing. Hand-eye coordination is foot-eye coordination for him.

He can stand on one leg real easily, so if something's thrown in his direction, he'll just shift his weight real quick and grab it with his foot.

----

Izuku may not be quirkless, but he does face quirk discrimination.

He's so much like a bird, he has to wear skirts instead of pants and has to have special underwear he can put on for himself.

A lot of his clothes have had to be custom made, and because his feet are essentially his hands, he usually has to wash his feet several times a day to do anything with them.

And schools have to go out of their way to custom make a uniform for him, and because of the way bathroom sinks are, it's hard for him to wash his hands without having to flap his wings indoors, which can sometimes cause a mess.

He also has sharp teeth and very sturdy facial skin in place of a beak, though sometimes, when he get's very birdy, it can almost seem like he has a beak. mass hallucination lmao

[centrally-unplanned]

A good post breaking down a lot of the data on how many more “passionate” liberals there are, w/ implications around what that means for actual conservative policy proposals. 

While its simplified argument of “liberals care a lot more, which drives institutions” I do think that looks over some uniquely American traits. For one, using “donated against Trump in 2020” is maybe not the proxy you want it to be - the 2020 election was a *deeply* unusual election, with extreme voter turnout and conditions. As even the article acknowledges, Trump/Clinton wasn’t so lopsided.

More critically is the fact that the US isn't really 50/50 republican/democrat, but much closer to 40/60 - while the electoral system of the US biases conservative and helps right that ship. I think in practice that results in the Republican party playing to a *much* smaller base than that 60/40 split suggests, as the right also possesses some of the biggest (but still small) die-hard voting clumps in the nativist wing and the religious right (which still exist y’all!) Republicans consistently play far-right to win the majority-of-a-majority, ‘cept that ‘majority’ is actually a minority but bats above its weight electorally. 

In a more balanced electoral system this strategy would fail, the republican party would re-align to the center-right, and these trends would normalize a lot more.  But since we don’t live in that system, the Republican party is still going to have way more ‘hold their nose and vote against the dems’ types as a price of the laying to the base. Which makes dems seem like the ‘passionate’ side since they are just the larger side, and are playing to the larger crowd.

(No actual cited data here since I am at work, hopefully my polling data memory isn’t too garbage)

[hikaridemina]

*Quietly tucks this into the corner* I really want to keep making OC x canon snippets but my confidence wavers. Oh well.

This turned out way more sad than originally intended.

Warnings/tags: Angst, swearing, OC x Canon, OOC

-----

A dim ray of sunlight shone through the darkened bedroom from between the curtains. Fizz’s eyelids fluttered open with the light shining in his vision, his eyes steadily gaining a green glow as they powered back on. He turned over on his side in the bed and was now facing the bat demon sleeping soundly beside him.

He was the first one awake apparently, which was... new. Normally Demina was the one waking him up at the ass crack of dawn, so she must have been exhausted to still be asleep. Well, after what they had done late into the night, it wasn’t too much of a surprise. A sly smile crept over the jester’s face as he thought about it.

After a little while, he carefully slid out of the bed, trying very hard not to wake her up. He seemed to have succeeded, and with the utmost care he grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it up to cover her shoulders. He then made his way over to the bathroom, stepping around both of their articles of clothing, including his trademark outfit, that were strewn about on the floor.

He flicked on the light switch as he entered and leaned on the vanity counter to look at the mirror. A frown appeared on his face as he tapped on the shiny piece of metal that started from where his collar bone would be, then extended all the way up to the middle of his neck. The posture collar had a fancy heart engraved on the front, and was a shiny silver which contrasted with the off-white of his torso.

The thing wouldn’t bother him so much if it didn’t stick out like a goddamn sore thumb, but at least it was relatively hidden while he had his clothing on.

Or maybe it wasn’t the collar itself that bothered him, but the reason why it was there. He had gotten careless, let his guard down for a few seconds and it put him out of commission long enough for Demina’s life to be thrown into danger. Luckily, she had managed to get herself out of it before any real harm had happened to her, but...

Still. That event continued to haunt him no matter how hard he tried to push it from his memory, and this fucking collar did nothing else but remind him of it. Well, aside from holding his upper chest together and keeping his head attached. Honestly, he rather would have gone through the long-term repairs for that instead of this ‘quick fix’ they did on him while he was offline. He let out a sigh as he kept staring into the mirror.

Damn, feeling sad sucked. Who knew that actually, genuinely, caring for someone else would make things so complicated.

His attention was then immediately drawn to the person who just had stepped into the doorway behind him, whom appeared to have put on a black t-shirt and shorts after having gotten out of bed. He quickly turned around and forced a toothy grin as he leaned back on the counter.

“Hey Dems! Finally decided to get up, huh?”

“Yeah...” The bat let out a yawn, “What are you doing in the bathroom?”

“... Uhh.” He didn’t know how to answer that, actually. “Just, you know... things.”

Fuck. That was such a Blitzo answer.

She picked up on the awkwardness right away, especially with that fake grin of his, which she was sure if it got any wider his face would probably get stuck like that. She raised a brow at him.

Another thing that sucked was when someone else cared just as much about you and could tell when you were full of shit.

Fizz then froze completely as she walked up to him and placed a hand on his chest.

“It’s the collar, isn’t it?” She said while keeping her gaze down, running her thumb over the heart-shaped engraving.

How the heck did she know? He had never voiced to her how he really felt about it... Maybe she was just too good at figuring these things out.

“Now I know what you’re gonna say...” He gently grabbed hold of her hand to move it from his chest, his fingers lacing between hers.

“You don’t need to feel sorry for it.”

She kept her gaze down, her hand now squeezing his a bit.

“But you got hurt.”

“Well robots can’t really get hurt, so-”

He was taken aback as she shot a piercing glare up at him. Through her angry expression he could spot her bottom lip quivering, along with the dew forming in her eyes telling a completely different reaction.

She threw her other arm over around his shoulders and nestled her face into his neck.

"That's not what I fucking mean..." She took in a shaky breath to try to keep her voice from cracking, but it didn't do much.

"I know you think you can just keep getting into shit, getting fixed over and over again until one day..."

She couldn't hold it back anymore as steady streams began to flow down her face. Fuck, how did it get to this point so quickly.

"I had to-" her voice hiccupped mid-sentence and she had to gulp down her breath before continuing, "I had to fucking see you on the ground with your eyes all black, you didn't answer when I called you, you didn't move, I thought you were... Gone."

For once the jester was speechless. He had no witty remarks, no comebacks, no smartass-ness. All he could do in that moment was stand there motionless as his girlfriend hung on to him, while he continued to clutch her hand like he was never going to let go.

"Dems..."

If he could be crying himself right now, he would be. This entire time he had thought she had gotten out of that terrifying situation unscathed, but it was now apparent that wasn't the case. His free arm coiled around her waist to pull her closer into the hug.

"I... I'm sorry, okay? I couldn't let those bastards get away with trying to hurt you-"

"But you didn't have to chase them!" She interrupted him, her breath hitching again as she had to breathe through her mouth.

"We could have just ran away! We could have got away together and everything would have been fine!"

She unintentionally let out a sob as she buried her face in his shoulder, her large ears folding flat. God, she was such a mess, and now she also felt bad for practically yelling at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to be such a bitch..."

"N-No you're not bbbeing a bitch!"

Wait, did his voice just glitch out? God fucking dammit that was supposed to have been fixed. He nuzzled the side of her face.

"I'll be more careful from now on, for you."

Demina sniffled as she wiped her face on her arm. She was finally starting to calm down.

"You have to promise, and not just for me either."

"Alright. I, Fizzarolli, promise to stop being a dumbass and scaring his girlfriend."

He smiled at the exasperated sigh he received in response from the bat still nuzzled into his shoulder.

"Stupid fucking clown." She muttered just loud enough for him to hear, a smile also having formed on her face.

"Crazy ass bat." He said playfully in return.

She moved back a bit so she could look up at him, unable to hide her smile.

"How am I crazy?"

"For crying over the stupid fucking clown."

Their smiles widened as they both leaned in to connect for a kiss. The soft moment felt good after the emotional rollercoaster they had just been through.

After the kiss, Demina let go of Fizz's hand and motioned for him to let go of her as well.

"Okay I'm gonna have to kick you out of the bathroom now."

"Oh woe is me."

He unraveled his arm from around her waist, but didn't budge from his spot in front of the vanity as he grinned at her.

"What if I wanted to stay?"

"You are not staying in here when I need it."

"Aww, you never know, I could be into that."

"Ew."

She promptly used one of her wings to push him out before slamming the door shut behind him, whilst he did that wicked chuckle of his that he does every time he acts like a little shit.

At least that unexpected morning drama was over with and he felt pretty much back to normal.

He noticed the clothes that were on the floor had been picked up and put in the laundry basket, with the exception of his jester attire which instead had been laid out at the end of the bed.

He had a different idea though and made a beeline for the closet, sliding the door open to take out a faded violet hoodie. With some effort he managed to slip it over his head, pulling it down over his body. He held his jester ears down in front of himself as he put the hood up and pulled the string to keep it in place.

Now he was perfectly content.

Fizz then moved into the living room to sit on the couch. Moments later, Demina entered the room as well and began to gather her wallet and keys.

"So I have to get some things from the store, you can come along if you want... to..."

She stopped and stared at her boyfriend sitting on the couch wearing her hoodie, which was fine, except there was something missing.

"Where's your pants?"

He shrugged in response.

"Didn't think I needed them."

"Oh for fuck's sake," she rolled her eyes as she went back into the bedroom, a few seconds later returning with his black and white striped pants in hand.

He gave her that shit-eating grin again.

"If it was for fuck's sake, I'd leave 'em offPFT-"

She had thrown the pants over his face.

Yeah, everything was back to normal, alright.

[beyondflashpoint]

Prologue 1: Bedtime stories.

John massaged his temple. He’d been pouring through ancient tomes and cross referencing half forgotten folklore for what felt like hours. He sat back in his overstuffed chair, considered lighting a cigarette, then recalled the one unlit, currently pressed between his lips. How long had it been there? He needed a break.

“Da- ... John?” The little voice inquired from the doorway. John slowly raised his eyes.

The child had been in his care for over a year now. Looking at her now, wearing an adults band tee like a nightgown and dragging the large stuffed bat she carried everywhere, it was hard to remember how dangerous she could be.

“Well, what have we here? Little Bird escaped her cage?”

She smiled at the affectionate nickname, but there was still fear in her eyes.

John Constantine had never once thought of himself as anything close to fatherly. After all, his own dear old dad had been nothing short of a five-star bastard. But she wanted to call him dad, wanted him to be a father to her. Seeing her, putting on a brave face, but desperately craving comfort and company, it reminded him why he had taken the girl from a dying world, a dying mother, and her own five-star bastard. He moved in a way that only a concerned father can move, a delicate balance between caution so as not to startle, and haste to provide that comfort she was practically begging for. In moments he had scooped her up, cradled like a princess in his arms.

“Bad dreams again Rachael?” He asked tenderly. She nodded.

“Can’t get back to sleep then either, I take it?” She shook her head.

He pointed at he stuffed bat, now held in a chokehold by her scrawny little arms.

“Now you listen here Batsy, I told you more than once that you’re supposed to keep our girl safe.” A stern voice, usually reserved for pit fiends and people fooling with things they didn’t understand. John Constantine was upbraiding a stuffed toy. If that ever got out it’d be the end of his reputation. But bullocks to that.

“His name is Bartok. And he’s just a stuffed animal.” But she was giggling, genuine and true.

John exited the study carrying the girl back to bed. Neither noticed that the doorway which had previously opened into the foyer now deposited them on the second floor landing, a few doors down from Rachael’s bedroom. This was the House of Mystery, and it changed to suit its owner’s needs. Thankfully it knew John well enough to know that carrying a six year old child up a flight of stairs was a little excessive.

“That’s not entirely true, now is it luv? We studied totems and objects of power just last week. You’ve given him a name, and you carry him with you everywhere. Bartok is probably absolutely pulsing with magical energy. With the right focus and a solid incantation Barty could be a regular supercharged dream catcher.”

He was laying her down now, pulling the covers over her, but making sure to leave the bat’s stitch’s smile free. Rachael listened intently and nodded.

“Zatanna will be here all day tomorrow. I’m sure if you ask really nicely she’ll help you.”

“Is she doing a magic show right now?”

John smiled and nodded.

“Some of us have day jobs. You’ll want to follow her lead on that. Don’t be a deadbeat like ol’ Johnny boy.” He ended with a silly face, and was rewarded with another giggle.

“We’ll have to tell Zee to get you some proper sleepwear. I’m not sure how I feel about a six year old trundling about in a Mucous Membrane tee that’s older than Christ.”

“I like it. Zatanna says it’s the band you were in when you were a teenager. Uncle Boston let me listen to some of your songs, but he made me promise not to tell. He said there were bad words.”

“Did he now? I’ll have to have a talk with ‘Uncle Boston’ later. Punk is for your rebellious teenage years.” He smiled to show he was joking, but mentally cursed Boston Brand for starting her off with his old rubbish. “All tucked in. Close your eyes now Little Bird. Try and sleep.”

He started to stand, but the girl’s eyes doubled in size, wordlessly begging him not to go. He settled his weight once more.

“How’s about a story then?”

She immediately brightened.

“Will you tell me a Hellblazer story?”

John laughed.

“Those stories are a bit too dark for you Little Bird. When your older. Promise. I was thinking something a bit more age appropriate. With dragons.”

Her face dropped.

“A fairy tale?”

“Not exactly, luv. By all accounts this is a true story.”

She quirked an eyebrow suspiciously.

“It does begin a long time ago, in a land far away. About a thousand years ago. In a land called Nol. It was a different dimension. Nol was a peaceful kingdom, in the heights power. Arts, sciences, magic. A true utopia by all accounts. Streets of gold and all that. Actually,” he smirked, leaning onto his side, and gesturing with one hand while chanting under his breath. Sparks of gold light shot from his fingers, and after a few quick twirls, he flicked them towards the ceiling with a flourish. “Better to show than tell, innit?”

The sparks of gold fluttered and danced, multiplied, and arranged themselves into an image. Rachael gasped and watched in wide-eyed wonder that briefly made John understand Zatanna’s Copperfeild routine. Hovering above them, at an angle suited for a child to fall asleep to, the streets of Nol took shape, exactly as John pictured them when he read about them.

Polished marble walls rose ever skyward the tallest among them of height with a modern skyscraper. The streets, onyx, not gold, sloped downward in a gentle incline towards the port, and the sea beyond. All manner of strange vessels were docked there, traders and travelers from strange unknown lands. The great gates of the walled city were many, made of bronze, and flanked by the figures of many fantastic beasts. Here a griffin, there a sphinx, manticores, and many others beyond listing. The houses were of chalcedony or marble, with each their own walled gardens. No workers tools had ever touched these stones, and in fact it looked more like the stone had grown into the shapes they now held.

Of that same seemingly grown stone was the palace, directly in the city’s center. The highest of its towers dwarfed the Great Wall of Nol. And there were many towers. The palace was an opulent thing of soaring towers and impossible domed buildings, of high bridges between towers that seemed impossibly fragile from below.

The child consumed every detail with awestruck wonder.

“The people of Nol enjoyed a thousand years of peace, power, and prosperity. Now, the thing about good times is that they make people soft. See, the soldiers of Nol, save a few brave fools, had grown fat and confident. Sure there were a handful of knights and soldiers who traveled the countryside solving problems and seeking honor and all that rubbish, but mostly the good people of Nol believed nothing bad would ever happen to them.”

“And that’s exactly when something bad happened to them, right John?”

“That’s right. That’s the first lesson in this story, Little Bird. Prepare for the worst, and always expect it to get worse.” She nodded.

“And so, it was a great shock, then, when the dragon came.” The image of the city was replaced with the silhouette of a dragon, a massive thing with glowing eyes. The earth seemed to tremble at its wingbeats and Rachael gasped at the sight of it. “The Primordial Serpent, The Conqueror Wyrm, Malkior. From the east the dragon came, in the late hours after the sun had set. The beating of his mighty wings stirred the whole city to waking, and the soldiers, who were used to only marching about and yelling at rowdy kids prepared for a fight. The first fight for most of em.”

Even as he spoke, images of soldiers rushing too and fro in panicked chaos replaced that of the dragon.

“Now, the great dragon made quick work of the city’s walls, with his great claws and his mighty tail, and even quicker work of the inexperienced troopers practically throwing themselves at him. Even those brave knights who had returned to the city failed to even scratch the dragon’s mighty scales. All seemed lost for Nol, as the beast made his way towards the heart of the great city, intent on the palace and full of sinister purpose.”

Though Constantine had made sure the images were age appropriate, Rachael had pulled the covers up to her nose and was squeezing Bartok tightly.

“But, and this is the most important lesson from this story, it is always better to be clever than it is to be brave, or strong. And very luckily for Nol, there just so happened to be a very clever mage named Rorek. See Rorek had spent his whole life studying magic specially to kill Malkior. Rorek happened to be in the palace, studying magic with the king’s high mage, and when he heard the beating of those sinister wings he knew exactly what to do. Armed with naught but his personal spell book and his wits, Rorek claimed the tallest tower in the palace of Nol to face his hated foe.” The words flowing forth from John were just as magical as the scenes mirroring them to the little girl, and she fought against drooping eyelids to not miss the epic battle she knew was fast approaching.

“ The dragon reached the palace just as Rorek emerged on the tower’s roof.

‘Hark dem-“

“Do the voices.” The girl demanded in a voice laden with sleep. John could think of no reason to refuse.

“ ‘Hark demon! I am Rorek! For too long you have burned and killed and destroyed unchecked and unopposed. I oppose thee now!’” The voice he used now was softer, and a bit more proper. One might allege that he based it off one Jason Blood, though Constantine would never confirm this if pressed on it.

“ ‘Little man,’ said the dragon,” in a voice not dissimilar to Jason’s better half, “ ‘ I am the destroyer, the defiler, the conqueror. I am Malkior! I have seen worlds rise and fall, only to rise again. I have slain kings and emperors, heroes and champions. Who are you to think to stand against me?’ And Rorek stood tall and began his spells. The battle was fearsome, for Malkior too was versed in powerful and ancient magics. It seemed for every spell, hex or curse Rorek threw at Malkior, the dragon knew it’s counter. But Rorek was clever, and even while casting an unending torrent of spells, he prepared his last trick.

‘Foul beast, demon that you are, thy name does not suit thee, but nonetheless, Malkior, I call thee by thy true name, and by thy name bind thee!’

And the dragon roared with fury, lashing, thrashing and cursing even as he was pulled into Rorek’s book and bound. But with a final curse, disaster struck, and the tower which had been the scene of their epic battle was reduced to rubble, and Rorek was lost. But Nol remembered its hero, and until it’s final days celebrated the triumph of Rorek of Nol.”

As the final scene came to a close, the image faded, and the swirling cloud of golden dust dissipated and dissolved.

“So you see-“ John cut off as he turned to look at the girl and found her snoring softly.

He smiled, whispering an enchantment to ward against bad dreams, and brushing her hair back, kissed her forehead to seal the spell in place.

The barrage of vision and memory came with shocking clarity and coherence. Had he not been seated, John would have been knocked off his feet. The things he saw would haunt him for years to come.

It took time to compose himself well enough to stand, much less return to the study, where, hours later Zatanna found him, cigarette in one hand, scotch in the other.

It had been some time since Zee had seen John this upset. It was only after a second and third drink that he smoothed his unruly blond hair back, took a deep breath and spoke.

“We need to talk about Rachael. And her dreams.”

[miss-nerdstiles]

THE WEST WING #105 [5-17] The Supremes Full transcript Written by Deborah Cahn Directed by Jessica Yu.  I do not own this in any way, nor do I get anything from the sharing of it.

(MONDAY)

(CROWD OUTSIDE)

DONNA: (on phone) Tommy at Justice.  Covitz at Justice.  Citizens For a Strong America. Archbishop Gaudio, Archbishop Rummel…

JOSH: What?!  

DONNA: Rummel! Of New York. Man of God.

JOSH: I can't hear a damn...  Excuse me please.  Thank You.  How are these people up so early?  

DONNA: It's a Supreme Court seat.  They had sign-painting parties the second Justice Brady dropped dead.  Council sent a new list, said burn the old list.

JOSH:  Listen to this.  “They cavalierly sacrificed the unborn innocents and beckon, arms akimbo, the reaper, the horseman and the apocalyptic end.  Akimbo is a word you wish got used more.  There’s someone out there selling  “Who Would Jesus Nominate” t-shirts.  

DONNA: They’re in Leo’s. They just started.  

(OUTSIDE LEO’S OFFICE)

JOSH: You want this?  

DONNA: You don't like it?  

JOSH: Not really. Sorry I'm late.

LEO: Dem Leadership is in with the President.  

JOSH: They giving us more names?

LEO: I'm sure they are.  

TOBY: I need the short list by the end of the week.  

LEO: Your schedule.  Your schedule.  Mine.  Keep 'em quick.  You got 3 judges an hour.  

C.J.: Who has Austin Girelli from Connecticut?  

TOBY: Me.  

C.J.: ACLU called about him.  I don't think it'll be a problem, but ask him about that migrant workers thing he wrote.  

JOSH: Why isn't Haskins on here?

LEO: Having an affair with his clerk.  

MARGARET: Toby - Dubar on line two.  

C.J.: Here’s Bernstein. And this is…

TOBY: [on phone] Senator? Yes, Senator.  No we're not having a party over the death of a Supreme Court Justice.  Well, not a big party.  

JOSH: Evelyn Baker Lang?  

LEO: Fourth circuit.  

JOSH: Isn't she kind of a lefty?

LEO: Yeah  

C.J.: Decoy duck.  And don’t do it in your office.  Do it someplace where the press can see her.  

LEO: We want the left flank sufficiently mollified and the right flank sufficiently panicked so as to inspire a little conciliation on all flanks.  

JOSH: Lang should do the trick.

TOBY: Put Fred Canterbury down on some list of people we’ll never consider.  

C.J.: Baker Lang's just with Josh?

LEO: You want Toby too?  

C.J.: It'll look more like we're taking her seriously.  

LEO: Toby, Evelyn Baker Lang will be your 8:45 with Josh.  Let's go, people. First one to find me a Supreme Court Justice gets a free corned beef sandwich.  

(ROOSEVELT ROOM)

JOSH: Obviously we're impressed with your record.  

TOBY: Your work on the 14th Amendment in particular is the stuff dreams are made of.  

JOSH: But before anything else, we want to gauge your interest level.  This will certainly be a lifestyle...  

LANG: We can just chat  

JOSH: I'm sorry?  

LANG: I hear you really went to bat for Eric Hayden.  

JOSH: I wish we could have gotten him confirmed.  

TOBY: Judge Lang, if the President were to...  

LANG: Is he still teaching?

JOSH: Eric?  Yeah.  Umm...again, if we...  

LANG: A conservative anchor of the court has just died.  A young brilliant thinker who brought the right out of the closet and championed a whole conservative revival.  You cannot replace Owen Brady with a woman who overturned a parental consent law.  You'd be shish-ka-bob'd and set aflame on the south lawn.  Two reporters have... three reporters have walked by since we started.  I'm window dressing. That's fine. I'm happy to help.  But let's just chat about the weather.

(OUT IN THE HALL)

TOBY: Not bad.

JOSH: That's what we're talking about.  Maybe we should put her on the short list.  

TOBY: Yeah

JOSH: Okay, who's next?  (Donna gives them folders)

TOBY: That’s his.

DONNA: This is…

JOSH: That’s a “no”.

ACT ONE  

(DONNA’S DESK)

DONNA: Sign, please.  

JOSH: You want to move it so I can see?  

DONNA: Not really  

JOSH: Why are we apologizing to Ashland?  

DONNA: We sent him flowers. Condolence flowers.  

JOSH: Condolences?  

DONNA: For his death.  

JOSH: He's alive.  

DONNA: That's what he said.  

JOSH: We sent flowers to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on the occasion of his death?  

DONNA: They were supposed to go to Justice Brady's family.  

JOSH: Get protocol on the phone.

DONNA: They didn't actually....

JOSH: We did this?!  

DONNA: It was an honest mistake. Ashland's 80, he's knock knock knocking on ....  

JOSH: Who put the order in?

RYAN: Hey guys!  

JOSH: You sent a funeral bouquet to the family of the living breathing Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

RYAN: No I sent them to the guy who died , Brady.  

JOSH: No, actually you didn't.

RYAN: This is terrible.  Umm... I really apologize.  You know I am a nightmare with details.  It's embarrassing.  This stuff just leaks out of my head. We should leave the detail work to Donna.  She's got the head for it.  I'm more of a big picture kind of guy.  

JOSH: She's here because she's invaluable.  You're here because your uncle's so powerful I can't fire you.  Big Picture.  

LISA: Hi.  Bad time?  

JOSH: I'm on my way out.  

LISA: Two minutes.  

RYAN: Lisa, right?  You work for the Judiciary Committee.  

LISA: Staff Director.  

RYAN: Ryan Pierce, we met at my office.  

JOSH: Excuse us.  

LISA: Is he the one who flipped the car in Nice?  

JOSH: Yeah.  

LISA: When do I see names for Brady's seat?  

JOSH: Do you want to let the body cool?  

LISA: You’re meeting with Barwald, Girelli, Evelyn Baker Lang.

JOSH: Here we go.

LISA: Whose acid trip is that?

JOSH: Just take a breath.  

LISA: The committee’s not going to let the balance of the court hurl wildly to the left.  You fill Brady's seat with...  

JOSH: It's not Brady's seat.

LISA: It's not your Senate.

JOSH: We're just looking at the field.  

LISA: Girelli has a fondness for Vicodin and Evelyn Lang is not an option.  Save us all some time.  

JOSH: We're some democrats over here.  We're not going to nominate a born again elk hunter with a tattoo of the confederate flag on his ass.  

LISA: Look at Arthur Lopez or Brad Shelton or Mayra Height.  You go with Barwald or Lang and the Senate is going to make the next year of your life a living hell.  I tell you this as a person who would be your friend if I was a person who looked for different things in friends.  

JOSH: We should do this in more often.  

LISA: As often as it takes.

(LEO’S OFFICE)

LEO: [on phone] We don't' hate Asians.  No we don't.  Justice Wong is more valuable to us where he is. Certainly. Thank you sir. [hangs up] Do a drive-by with Sebastian Cho, Massachusetts Supreme.  

TOBY: Yeah.  You were looking for me?  

LEO: You hear about a congressional delegation to the Middle East?  

TOBY: Next month.  

LEO: It was Jordan and Egypt. Now they want to add Israel and do a day in the territories and meet with this shadow negotiation crew.  State's iffy.

TOBY: As they should be.  The Prime Minister is going to go through the roof.  

LEO: Not to mention the Palestinian authority.  

TOBY: I'll look into it.  

LEO: Andy's leading the delegation.  Is that going to be a...  

TOBY: No.  I'm on it.  

JOSH: President's on his way.  What's up?  

TOBY: We hate Asians.  

JOSH: Okay.  

(OUTSIDE OVAL OFFICE)

DEBBIE: Ah Rina, how goes it?

RINA: These are today's. And Mr. Ziegler says that the President would want this before their 1:00.  

DEBBIE: Oh here, you can put it in his hot little hands yourself.

RINA: Ah, this is for you, sir.

BARTLET: Thank you Lana.  

RINA: Uh, thank you sir.  (to Debbie) It…

DEBBIE: I hate to do this, but it's Rina, sir.  

BARTLET: What?  

DEBBIE: The girl in the dress with the flowers.  

BARTLET: Just now?  

DEBBIE: Yes.  

BARTLET: What'd I call her?

DEBBIE: Lana.  

BARTLET: Who's Lana?  

DEBBIE: I'm guessing an exotic dancer from your spotty youth.  

BARTLET: I should apologize.  Get her back.  

DEBBIE: You asked me yesterday how the schedule gets off the rails.  

BARTLET: Yeah.  

DEBBIE: This is how.  

LEO: Good afternoon, Mr. President.  

BARTLET: Hey, we make any friends?

JOSH: Maybe Zimmerly, Shelton.

TOBY: Mehldau.  

JOSH: Lang was pretty impressive.

BARTLET: The gal from the 4th?  Didn't she strike down some stuff?

JOSH: Parental consent for abortion.  

BARTLET: Yeah, that's not going to happen.  

LEO: She was a red flag to the bull.  

JOSH: Well, it's working.  Lisa Wolfe from the judiciary committee showed up today spewing all kinds of threats and admonitions.  

LEO: About what?  

TOBY: Three dems on the committee called, elated we were considering bold choices.  

LEO: If the strategy's working, let's get her in again.  

BARTLET: You like Shelton?  

JOSH: Yeah.  Moderate, insightful, gets it.  

BARTLET: Let's meet him.  Who else?  

JOSH: Helen Waller.  Beresford Bannett DC Circuit.  Ellis Yaffe.  Martha Zell. Uh.. Howard Kagen out of New York.

(TUESDAY)

(C.J.’S OFFICE)

TOBY: What are you doing?  

C.J.: Nothing.  

TOBY: What?  

CAROL: She has a date.  

C.J.: And she's getting fired.

TOBY: Evelyn Lang’s coming back in for another red herring performance, 3:00.  You don't find that annoying?  

C.J.: I'll have Carol march the Times by Lang at three.  

TOBY: Brad Shelton's in with the President.  

C.J.: We like him.  

TOBY: Yeah,  we do.  

(OVAL OFFICE)

BARTLET: E. Bradford Shelton.  What's the E for?  

SHELTON: Elijah.  

BARTLET: That's a burden.  

SHELTON: Hence the E.  

BARTLET: I hear good things about you from my staff.  What did they miss?  

SHELTON: My son burned you in effigy.  

BARTLET: Did you watch?  

SHELTON: I didn't. It was a campus demonstration against American presence in Saudi Arabia.  There's a photo in his yearbook.  Someone'll dig it up.  I thought it would sound better in person than on paper.  

BARTLET: I'm not sure it did.  Did he burn anybody else?  

SHELTON: No, just you.  

(HALLWAY)

LANG: Well, I’ve missed you both.

JOSH: We appreciate this.  

LANG: I keep running into Brad Shelton in the parking lot.  Some say coincidence. I'm not so sure.  

JOSH: You have been very patient.

LANG: Well I don't mind.  But people wonder why the appellate system is so backed up.  We shouldn't let them know this is how I spend my time.  

TOBY: Well, if you were less appealing.  

LANG: Same to you sir.

(OVAL OFFICE)

BARTLET: Affirmative action is going to be back in the next few years.  Let's start there.  

SHELTON: What do I know about it?

BARTLET: What do you think about it?

SHELTON: I don't know.  Not the answer you were looking for?  

BARTLET: Not really.  

SHELTON: Unnerving isn't it?

BARTLET: Is there another topic you'd be more comfortable with?  

SHELTON: Nothing comes to mind.

BARTLET: Perhaps you should make something up.  

SHELTON: I'm not trying to be cagey, but I don't position myself on issues and I don't know what I think about a case until I hear it.  There are moderates who are called that because they are not activists.  And there are moderates who are called that because sometimes they wind up on the left and sometimes on the right.  

BARTLET: You think I want someone who’s gonna vote with Ashland?  

SHELTON: I think you are looking for somebody who will vote with him now and replace him later.  

BARTLET: And that's not you?

SHELTON: Wish it were.  He's a giant.  But my allegiance to the eccentricities of a case will reliably outweigh my allegiance to any position you might wish I held.  

(ROOSEVELT ROOM)

JOSH: Let's talk a little bit about what the judiciary committee's concerns would be.  We can safely say reproductive rights are gonna come up.  

TOBY: They're going to say judicial activism, particularly in drori.  How would you address that?  

LANG: And you're who?  

TOBY: I'm sorry?  

LANG: Who are you?  We're playing committee.  

JOSH: This will be coming from one of the 11 Republicans on there.  Mitchell -  

LANG: You can only be one.  

JOSH: We don't need to -  

LANG: If you're Webster, the question is 'Where do you stand on Roe v Wade?'.  And the answer is 'Judicial ruling shouldn't be based on personal ideology, mine or anyone else's'.  If you're Davies, the question is 'How would you approach a D&X case?' because he's the drum banger on partial birth.  And the answer is 'I don't comment on hypotheticals'.  If you're Malkin, you're from Virginia, so you ask about my decision in drori.  I take you point by point from the doctor to the father to Casey to undue burden to equal protection back to Roe at which point you can't remember the question and I drink my water for a minute while you regroup.  

JOSH: Will you excuse us for a second?

(OUT IN THE HALL)

JOSH: I love her.  I love her mind.  I love her shoes.  

TOBY: We march her to five senator's offices and they'll be so scared they'll beg us to put Shelton on the court.  

(ROOSEVELT ROOM)

JOSH: Sorry. You were vetted by the FBI when you hit the Federal bench, but if we re-opened an investigation....

LANG: I'm a shill, right?  Why would you bother with a background check?  

JOSH: Humor us.  

TOBY: If there's anything that they didn't find...  

LANG: Let's see, umm... in high school I snuck a copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover out of the public library and never returned it.  In college I got a marijuana plant from my roommate as a birthday present.  And in year two of law school I had an abortion.  Can I get some water while you regroup?

ACT TWO  

JOSH: Okay.  Okay.  

LANG: I tell you this so you'd be prepared. It might not come up, but if it did, I wouldn't comment.  

JOSH: But if they know, it'll be hard.  

LANG: Roe v Wade affords me the right to terminate a pregnancy and to do so, free from all restraint or interference of others.  

JOSH: A hearing room....  

LANG: I'm told I have a right to privacy.  I think this would be the sort of thing it's referring to.  I also bet like a drunken sailor during my bi-monthly games of Hearts.  Do you wanna talk about that?

(C.J.’S OFFICE)

C.J.: An abortion?  

TOBY: Of all the gin joints in all the world....  

JOSH: Maybe they won't find it.

TOBY: Oh, they'll find it.  

JOSH: Yeah, but who's going to bring it up?  The committee, they'd look like monsters.  

C.J.: They don't have to.  Someone leaks it to the tabloid press, it's a feeding frenzy in 12 hours.  

JOSH: She says she can handle it.

C.J.: Oh, okay.  

TOBY: Well, we need her.  She's the cautionary tale.  Without her, we may not get Shelton.

C.J.: You been outside today?  We don't hand someone to the madding crowd so they can take the heat off some guy from Indiana.  

JOSH: The woman is - you should hear her.  

C.J.: What? So she IS a serious candidate?  

JOSH: She should be.  

C.J.: She's going to be on posters under a headline that says 'Wanted for the murder of 15 million American children'.  

JOSH: Let's think about this.

C.J.: Let it go.  

JOSH: No.  Really, nominees live or die by Roe v Wade.  We're playing along with the ridiculous notion that the Supreme Court is a single issue body in a way it hasn't been since, I don't know what...  

TOBY: Slavery.  

JOSH: Exactly.  So she had an abortion. Who the hell are we?  

C.J.: You think I like this? You keep this up, somone's going to take this to the press and this bright woman's going to be a checkout counter spectacle. Get her out of the building.

(WEDNESDAY)  

(OVAL OFFICE)

BARTLET: Brad Shelton could work for us.  I like him.

LEO: So talk to him this afternoon.  He's going to start getting calls.  

BARTLET: Who else?  

TOBY: Wisnewski’s a good maybe.  The majority leader’s really pushing him.  And Barkham from the 5th, though he has a question.  

JOSH: It's a tax thing.  We're looking into it.  

BARTLET: You still having a love affair with Evelyn Lang?  

JOSH: No. Uh, Robert Brant.

BARTLET: How come?  

JOSH: She won't make through vetting.  

BARTLET: Why not?  

TOBY: She had an abortion.  

JOSH: Robert Brandt’s on the 9th circuit state.  Stan Yancy's worked with him and says he's always kept his cards -  

BARTLET: When did she have an abortion?  

JOSH: Law school.  

BARTLET: Before or -  

C.J.: After '73, it was legal.

BARTLET: We discarding anybody else for legal activities?  

TOBY: Not yet.  

BARTLET: Tonsillectomy? We down on surfing this year?  

C.J.: She'd be publicly eviscerated.  

BARTLET: 27 million women voted for me.  I think they might had in mind that I was going to protect this particular right.

JOSH: We have plenty –

BARTLET: “I like that guy from Florida with the good hairdo, but I want to retain my right to choose, so I'm voting for what's-his-name, married to Abbey Bartlet.”  

TOBY: Sir.  They're going to make this about her objectivity.  

BARTLET: We promised the committee a short list by Friday.  I want her name on it.  

LEO: Okay.  

STAFF: Thank you, Mr. President.  (EXEUNT)

BARTLET: That pisses me off.

LEO: Apparently.  

BARTLET: We marched her around here all week.  The honor of a place on the short list is the least we could do.  

LEO: We’re still going with Brad Shelton?  BARTLET: (nods)

(DONNA’S CUBICLE)

RYAN: Filling a seat on the Supremes…heady stuff.  

DONNA: Don't call them that.

RYAN: My uncle calls them that.  So does the minority leader.  So does Henry Clark.  You know him? He's on the court.  

DONNA: You drop one more name and I'm going to staple your mouth shut.  

RYAN: (chuckles)

JOSH: There’ll be hell to pay at Agincourt.  I've offended the dauphin.  

DONNA: Lisa Wolfe called twice.  Senator Webster called regarding E. Lang.  “What can you possibly be thinking?”  Senator Milbank, regarding Lang.  “NO NO NO NO NO.” Bertha McNull, “Not a snow ball's chance in...” oh, that's not about Lang.  That's about the highways bill.  

JOSH: I need a drink.  

DONNA: Sun’s not over the yardarm.

JOSH: C.J.'s right.  

DONNA: Usually. You want a Black Eyed Susan?  

JOSH: Is that a drink?  

DONNA: It's a cookie.  My mom sent them.  

JOSH: No -- Yes.  

DONNA: Peanut butter with a chocolate kiss.  

JOSH: They’re cat people?  [holding up cookie tin]

DONNA: No they're not.  

JOSH: These theirs?  

DONNA: Shadrach and Meschach.

JOSH: Two cats, they’re cat people.  

DONNA: For years they only had one, but he died over Christmas.  

JOSH: This is a dry cookie.

DONNA: After what was deemed an appropriate mourning period, they went to get a new one. And my mother liked the abyssinian and my father liked the gray.  And they claim that after 39 years of marriage, they’ve outgrown compromise, so they got both.  It doesn't make them cat people.  The house doesn't smell. Do I have crumbs?  

(TOBY’S OFFICE)

JOSH: They pick one.  They pick one! That's how we get Evie Lang. And not as a decoy.  We put her on the court.  

TOBY: Hi.  

JOSH: The Chief Justice says he wouldn't step down because the President wouldn't be able to fill his seat with another liberal lion.  She's the liberal lion. Ashland resigns, she takes his seat, okay?  And we offer the Republican Senate Judiciary Committee the opportunity to hand-pick a conservative for Brady's seat.  We put 'em both up.  

TOBY: I’m ordering mu-shu. You want some?  

JOSH: Listen to me.  

TOBY: No.  

JOSH: I'm serious.  

TOBY: And then we got what, after we hand the Republicans a seat on the Supreme Court with a red bow on top?

JOSH: We have a balanced court.  They can't let Brady's seat go to a liberal.  So let them keep it.  Meanwhile, we name the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the nation's history.  I'm taking it to the President.  

TOBY: No you're not.  Do not go in there.  

(HALLWAY)

JOSH: Trip him.  

TOBY: Ashland is 82.  We may have an opportunity to put two people on this bench. That's two seats we fill with Democrats.  

JOSH: Moderates.  

TOBY: What do you care how moderate they are?  Two is twice as many as one.

(OUTSIDE OVAL OFFICE)

JOSH: Can I get in there?  

DEBBIE: No, just a minute.  

TOBY: We don't need him.  

JOSH: Not moderate, mediocre.

TOBY: What, Shelton’s not bright enough for you?  

JOSH: I want more than bright.  If we had a bench full of moderates in ’54, 'Separate but Equal' would still be on the books, and this place would still have two sets of drinking fountains.  

TOBY: Moderate means temperate.  It means responsible.  It means thoughtful.  

JOSH: It means cautious.  It means unimaginative.  

TOBY: It means being more concerned about making decisions than making history.  

DEBBIE: Indoor voices please.

JOSH: Is that really the biggest tragedy in the world?  That we nominated somebody who made an impression instead of some second rate crowd pleaser?

TOBY: The ability to see tow sides of an argument is not the hallmark of an inferior intellect.  

DEBBIE: Toby!

JOSH: What about the vast arenas of debate a moderate won't even address? A mind like Lang's?

DEBBIE: Josh!  

JOSH: Let them pick a conservative with a mind like like Justice Brady had.  

DEBBIE: Josh!  

JOSH: You can hate his positions, but he was a visionary.  He blew the whole thing open.  He changed the whole argument.

DEBBIE: (sprays water in Josh’s face) The President will see you now.  

BARTLET: And you?  

TOBY: I think they're going to pick a young, spry, conservative ideologue who's going to camp out in that seat for 45 years.  

JOSH: Fine.  Two voices are articulating the debate at either end of the spectrum.  

BARTLET: Filling another seat on the court may be the only lasting thing I do in this office. Shelton's a great choice. He'll make us proud. And if Ashland resigns in a year, we’ve got a stack of great options. We can't give it away.  

JOSH: Mr. President, the first woman in that chair.  

TOBY: We go out on some limb here and alienate the Senate, they'll tread water for three years, and we get nobody. The next guy gets to fill Brady's seat.  

BARTLET: Take it to Ashland.  See what he says.

TOBY: How’d you come up with it?

JOSH: What?  

TOBY: The swap-a-dee-doo.  

JOSH: There was.... Donna's mom... I thought it up in the shower.

(JUSTICE ASHLAND’S OFFICE)

ASHLAND: Who let them in?  

TOBY: Sorry to disturb you, sir.

ASHLAND: Carrier pigeons. Oh -- your flowers.  Yeah, we like them.  

JOSH: I'm dreadfully sorry about that, sir.  

ASHLAND: Oh for God's sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings.  Brady was your age.  Eat your greens.  

TOBY: He was a great man.  

ASHLAND: He was a selfish bastard.

JOSH: You told the President you hope to be replaced by a liberal with the same level conviction that you brought to the chair.  

ASHLAND: That sounds like something I'd say.  

TOBY: Sir, are you familiar with Evelyn Baker Lang?  

ASHLAND: Miss Lang. You've met with her?  

JOSH: Yes sir.  

ASHLAND: How are you going to get her past the pit bulls?  They're not going to like the notion of Miss Lang in Owen Brady's seat.  

JOSH: For your seat, if - if - you were to resign, she'd be Chief.  

ASHLAND: My seat? What about Brady's?  

TOBY: We'd allow the Judiciary Committee to choose someone.  A conservative.  

JOSH: Would you consider stepping down under those circumstances?  

ASHLAND: Sure.  

JOSH: We think it might be a viable option.  

ASHLAND: Go ahead, see who they pick of their favorite sons.  See what segregationist, anti-miscegenationist,  Isaiah-quoting, gay-bashing bastard they come up with. Jed Bartlet from New Hampshire had an idea.  Uh-oh.

ACT THREE

(THURSDAY, LISA WOLFE’S OFFICE)  

LISA: No, I cut this because what he's implying is illegal.  Take it back out. [to Josh] Three times in one week.  In some cultures we'd be married.  

JOSH: Chilling.  

LISA: Is it Shelton?  

JOSH: He's the front runner.

LISA: Good, are we done?  

JOSH: Mind if I shut the door?

LISA: No.  

JOSH: How are you doing?  

LISA: Ah, super!  

JOSH: Feeling good?  

LISA: I got a meeting in 4 minutes.  

JOSH: I'm going to float an idea here that even I can't believe I'm mentioning and my colleagues definitely can't believe I'm mentioning, and the President would probably prefer I drop completely and if I find it in the Washington Post tomorrow morning, I'll march straight out to the Press Room and tell them the idea came from you.  It'll embarrass the crap out of your boss and you'll be on Hotjobs by nightfall.

[THE WHITE HOUSE. TOBY’S OFFICE]  

TOBY: There's someone in my office.  

RINA: I thought it was your ex-wife.  

TOBY: You didn’t want to warn me about that?  

RINA: You asked her to come in.

ANDREA: She's cute.  

TOBY: Late some night, our eyes’ll meet over the maritime commission report. We'll be at the Justice of the Peace before dawn.  You want to talk about this dog and pony show you're attending in Gaza?  

ANDREA: Not really. Bradford Shelton.  

TOBY: He's on the list. You're not going to Gaza.  

ANDREA: I still don't want to talk about it.  

TOBY: You're not attending peace talks with a bunch of Israelis and Palestinians who don't work for the Israeli or Palestinian governments.  

ANDREA: They may generate some useful ideas.  

TOBY: The ideas already exist. The problem is getting the recognized parties to stick to the plan.  

ANDREA: So we sit with our hands folded?  

TOBY: We asked them for democracy. We should maintain some scrap of respect for the guys who are democratically elected.  

ANDREA: If you're really interested in peace, you negotiate with anyone.  You negotiate with the mailman.  

TOBY: Thanks for tee-ing that up. The mailman can't deliver.  

ANDREA: We'll see.  

TOBY: No, we won't see. You're jeopardizing this country's relationship with the Likud party and with the Palestinian authority, and it is not an option.  

ANDREA: Is that all you've got? There’s no “and what about the kids?”  

TOBY: Did something happen?

ANDREA: I'm going away for two weeks.  

TOBY: Will they be...?  

ANDREA: At my mothers...  

TOBY: Good.  

ANDREA: Would you have asked?

TOBY: I figured your mother’s, which is apparently....  

ANDREA: You say you want to be involved. It doesn't come with an embossed invitation. You involve yourself or you don't.  

TOBY: The President would like to remind you that this is a fact-finding mission. Please make it clear to any parties that you meet with that you are not empowered to negotiate for the United States.  

[OUTSIDE C.J.’S OFFICE]  

JOSH: Is she in there?  

CAROL: Hang on. She's getting off....  [C.J. laughs loudly through the door]  the phone.... [into speaker phone] you want Josh?  

C.J.: Lord knows I do! Josh Lyman as I live and breathe!  You want a cookie?  They're from Donna's mother.  

JOSH: I spoke to Lisa Wolfe.

C.J.: What did she say?  

JOSH: I don't want to talk about it. I'm hiding from Toby.  

C.J.: [giggles] Nothing. You're hiding. It's funny.  

JOSH: It's not funny.  

TOBY: Hey  

C.J.: [laughs] see?  It is.

JOSH: I gotta go.  

TOBY: What's going on?  

JOSH: C.J. has the giggles.

C.J.: It's your deal.  I find it elating.  

TOBY: She stoned?  

C.J.: I'm fine. I just didn't get enough sleep.  

JOSH: You were with Ranger Rick weren't you?  

C.J.: Josh spoke to Lisa Wolfe.

TOBY: She give you a name?  

JOSH: You are a faithless wench.

TOBY: What's the name?  

JOSH: Christopher Mulready.  Wait for it....  

TOBY: Christopher MULREADY????!!!!

JOSH: There it is.  

C.J.: He’s not the....  

TOBY: American's Democrats - The triumphant of Socialism.  

JOSH: He doesn't like the name.

TOBY: The man wrote a book that flushes the entire doctrine of un-enumerated rights down the -

C.J.: Toilet.  

TOBY: …garbage disposal. No right to use a condom. No right to get an abortion, certainly. No protection from electronic searches. No substantive due process.  

C.J.: He's what, 48?  

JOSH: I know.  

C.J.: The left's going to blow a gasket!  

TOBY: No separation of church and state.  

JOSH: We got problems on the right too.  Kogan, Howard, Tondello.  They can't vote for a Mulready.  Their constituencies are too moderate.  

TOBY: Get another name.  

JOSH: That is the name.  

TOBY: There are other....  

JOSH: This is the deal. He's what Evelyn Lang is to them. We nominate the patron saint of a woman's right to choose for Chief Justice. We ask them to ignore an incredibly rich piece of her personal history. We take the name they give us.  

TOBY: This isn't going to work.

JOSH: Yeah.  

TOBY: It isn't.  

[JOSH'S OFFICE]  

TOBY: If --- if we were going to try this, what would be the plan?  

JOSH: We give the President and Leo the name. We bring Christopher Mulready in. We bring Lang back in, hopefully the two of them woo the pants off the President. And he agrees to the deal without noticing he's standing in the gaze of history, pantless.  

TOBY: I'll talk to him.  

JOSH: You don't have to talk to him.  

TOBY: You have been on about this. It sounds more plausible coming from me. What are you gonna do about the committee?  

JOSH: Lisa Wolfe’s gonna take it to the Chairman.

TOBY: I mean the Democrats. I need to get Senator Pierce on board or you get nobody.  What are you going to do about Pierce?  

RYAN: (singing)'Won't you stay... just a little big longer... '  

DONNA: Stop.  

TOBY: I thought you were firing him?  

JOSH: If wishing made it so. Donna! Send in Elvis.

RYAN: What's up?  

JOSH: Come on in, take a load off.  I was a little, ah, brusque with you before. I'm sorry about that.  

RYAN: Okay.  

JOSH Your feelings a little hurt?

RYAN: Not at all  

JOSH: Really? Why not?  

RYAN: Would this be easier if they were?  

JOSH: I said I was going to fire you if it wasn't for....  

RYAN: Are you?  Firing me?  

JOSH: No.  

RYAN: Then there's a “sticks and stones” thing that comes to mind.  

[OUTSIDE OVAL OFFICE]

TOBY: Finishing a call. I spoke to Andy.  

LEO: Anything?  

TOBY: No. The National Security Caucus is sponsoring the delegation. We could talk to them.  

LEO: We'll deal with it next week. Don't worry about it.  

TOBY: We got a name for Brady's seat.  

LEO: Somebody workable?  

DEBBIE: You can go in now.  

LEO: Thank you.

(OVAL OFFICE)

BARTLET: MULREADY!  

TOBY: That's the name.  

BARTLET: No! Are you out of your bloody mind?  

TOBY: Let's sit down and talk about this.  

BARTLET: The last time I heard Christopher Mulready's name it was in conjunction with a treatise over the rights of incorporation, and some sort of baloney about the stranglehold the EPA has placed on the endangered species list…

ACT FOUR  

(THURSDAY)

[DONNA’S CUBICLE]

JOSH: Ryan in here yet?  

DONNA: Not yet.  

CHARLIE: Chris Mulready?  

JOSH: Yeah  

CHARLIE: Dissented on minority set asides. Struck down hate crime legislation. Went after miranda rights. Feeling pretty good about that?  

JOSH: It's not a perfect plan.  I'm the first to admit.  

CHARLIE: The President wants to reiterate, he’s not spending more than five minutes with this clown.

C.J.: The press room is clear. Carol is going to babysit the filing shop.  But keep an eye out for roving reporters.  

CHARLIE: You're in on this too?

JOSH: We got Lang coming in to meet the President at 7.  Christopher Mulready is at 8.  The press can't see him. We need a clear shot from the Roosevelt room to the Oval.  

DONNA: He's on the short list?

JOSH: He is if she is. We may get both.  

DONNA: Oh my god. You're putting my mother's cats on the Supreme Court.  

C.J.: You're what?  

JOSH: It's just an experiment. She’s on sentry.  We’re good.

TOBY: Hi.  

JOSH: Don't ever tell anyone that story.  

TOBY: We all settled?  

C.J.: Lefty’s got the goods.  Rocko got the call.  Stinky's on lookout.  

DONNA Hey!  

RYAN: Shall we?  

JOSH: Your uncle’s here?

C.J.: Knock 'em dead. Pierce’ll never buy it, will he?  

TOBY: Nope.

RYAN: Remember, he's all bark.  Just let him holler and wear himself out.  He's got the strength. You've got the endurance.  Here.  [hands over bottle of scotch]. Use it wisely and for God's sake, don't try to keep up.  You're way out of your league.  

JOSH: Not necessary.  Thank you.

(MURAL ROOM)

SENATOR PIERCE: Good to see you, Josh.  

JOSH: Senator Pierce, thank you so much for stopping in.  

RYAN: Josh was pretty impressed with your floor speech on Tuesday.  

PIERCE: Josh can kiss up all on his own.  Get back to work.  

RYAN: Yell if you need anything.

PIERCE: My nephew behaving?

JOSH: He's a… treat.

PIERCE: Well, he better be.  Bugged me for two years to get him a job in this place.  

JOSH: Really?

PIERCE: Watch yourself, he's a lean and hungry type.  Have someone taste your food.  

JOSH: Ryan?

PIERCE: So!  Craziest rumor you ever heard running around the committee.

JOSH: Oh, yeah?

PIERCE: Charlie Felson says you want to put Chris Mulready on the Supreme Court. I said anybody who tries is going to find himself in a closed session with myself, the minority leader, and the business end of a two-by-four.  

JOSH: You know, we got a 21year old Glenlivet knocking around here. Can I get you a drink?  

[DEBBIE'S OFFICE]  

C.J.: Lang still in there?  

DEBBIE: Oh, she's a big hit.

C.J.: She has to leave. Her evil twin Skippy is on his way.  

DEBBIE: I did our secret wrap-it-up sign, which is, I knock and say 'The deputy NSA needs to talk about Japan' and he said 'you talk to him, you've been there' which is true. But it makes me think he's forgotten it's a secret sign.  

C.J.: How about "Excuse me Mr. President we need to move on"?  

DEBBIE: If you want the job, you're going to have to work on your typing.  

[ROOSEVELT ROOM]  

TOBY: Apologies.  He's running behind schedule.  

MULREADY: I imagine that happens.  You want to tell me what I'm doing here?

TOBY: Oh, just a hello.  

MULREADY:  I'm not being impeached?  

TOBY: No.  

MULREADY:  This isn’t a not-particularly-subtle form of intimidation about the gays in the workplace case?  

TOBY: That would be illegal.

MULREADY:  My point exactly.  

TOBY: The President will explain....any minute now.  

MULREADY: Hm.

TOBY: But since you mention it, I read your article on Bellington, and I may be out on the fringe here, but I - I don't see how a family values conservative justifies denying committed couples access to the benefits of state sanctioned monogamy.  

MULREADY:  Homosexual couples.  

TOBY: Couples. A couple is a couple.  

[C.J.'S OFFICE]  

JOSH: Hi.  

C.J.: How was Ryan's uncle?

JOSH: He's a blast. Come meet him.

C.J.: He's still here? Oh my God!  You're drunk!  

JOSH: I think I just promised him a pork barrel roads project on an omnibus bill that doesn't exist. Don't try and keep up.  He's got a wooden – a hollow leg. He drinks a lot.  

[ROOSEVELT ROOM]  

TOBY: It's an equal protection violation.  

MULREADY:  Homosexuals are not a suspect class.  

TOBY: D.O.M.A. denies access.

MULREADY:  No.  

TOBY: To over 1,000 federal protections.  

MULREADY:  To what?  

TOBY: Survivor benefits under Social Security.  

MULREADY:  $255.00? I'll write you a check.  

TOBY: Hospital decision making.

MULREADY:  So talk about power of attorney, not marriage. Besides, the fact that D.O.M.A. doesn't restrict access to marriage.  

TOBY: Of course it restricts access. It restricts full faith and credit.  

MULREADY:  So, Vermont gets to steer nationwide marriage legislation? Vermont?

LANG: Well, this is a sight to see! One of the more unlikely meetings in the history of the Bartlet White House.  

MULREADY:  It's good to see you, Evie.  

LANG: You too, Chris.  I came to say goodbye. I wish I had a camera.

MULREADY:  Mr. Ziegler was trying to convince me that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.  

LANG: Oh, D.O.M.A.?  He was trying to convince you?

TOBY: What?  

LANG: He doesn't need convincing.

TOBY: I wasn't doing it because...

LANG: He was yanking your chain. He would never uphold D.O.M.A.  He may not love the idea of gay marriage, but he hates congressional overreaching, and Congress doesn't have the power to legislate marriage.  The issue isn't privacy.  

MULREADY: Or equal protection.

LANG: It's enumerated powers. He'll have an easier time knocking down D.O.M.A. than I will.  

MULREADY:  Lack of imagination on your part, if I may be so bold.

TOBY: You were yanking my chain?

MULREADY:  You called me in for a meeting with a Democratic president in the middle of the night.  Are you really going to give me crap about yanking your chain?

LANG: Josh Lyman is gesticulating wildly.  

TOBY: Excuse me.  

[HALLWAY]  

TOBY: Where's the Senator?  

JOSH: He's in with C.J.. He got me a little drunk.  

TOBY: Is he leaving?  

JOSH: I think he's getting C.J. a little drunk. How's it going?  

TOBY: He's striking down gay marriage bans and she's defending him and they're as thick as thieves and he's a fan of chain yanking.  

JOSH: She's defending him?  

TOBY: Down is down, down is up.

LANG: I am not... no I am not rewriting Article 1. What I am saying is that a gun free school zone...

MULREADY:  Is not a federal issue. In Lopez…  

LANG: Lopez overturned 50 years of precedent.  

MULREADY:  Too bad, they ruled a plain text reading of the commerce clause, does not afford Congress...  

LANG: A plain text reading of the Constitution values a “negro” at three-fifths of a man.  

MULREADY:  Hence the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments.  

LANG: Oh, generous. Thank you.

MULREADY: The relationship between guns and schools and interstate commerce is... is...  

LANG: You don't think that the quality of education has a direct affect on the economic...  

[DEBBIE'S OFFICE]  

TOBY: Is he?  

DEBBIE: Waiting to meet a man you're holding hostage in the Roosevelt room.

(MURAL ROOM)

C.J. AND PIERCE: Oh and while the king was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown, the courtroom was adjourned, no verdict was returned…

JOSH: Ok... ok.... Everyone needs to put down their glasses and pay attention.  

[OVAL OFFICE]  

BARTLET: You like him.  

TOBY: I hate him. I hate him, but he's brilliant. And the two of the them together, they’re fighting like cats and dogs, but it works.  

[MURAL ROOM]

PIERCE: You couldn't find a single warm-blooded centrist to put on the court?  

JOSH: We've got centrists. We've got six of them plus two staunch conservatives plus Justice Ashland. The one clarion voice articulating a liberal vision. He's going to go and then what?

[OVAL OFFICE]

BARTLET: Well, send him in....

TOBY: Sir…  

BARTLET: I said I'll listen to him, Toby. That's going to have to do it.  

[HALLWAY]

DONNA: Toby.  

TOBY: What?  

DONNA: Nothing's happening.

TOBY: Hang on.

DONNA: That's him?  

TOBY: Yeah.  

DONNA: No tail.  No cloven hooves.  

[OVAL OFFICE]  

DEBBIE: Judge Mulready.  

BARTLET: Thanks for coming in.

MULREADY:  It's an honor sir.  

BARTLET: Please.  I understand that you and Judge Lang had a bit of a knock-down-drag-out.  

MULREADY:  She wants to federalize law enforcement.  

BARTLET: Yeah.  

MULREADY:  I thought it was hasty.  

BARTLET: Not your brand of judge?

MULREADY:  Quite the opposite.  I haven't had that much fun in months.  

BARTLET: Really?  

MULREADY:  Use her, if you can. I'm not sure what all this is about.  I suppose a number of people are placated by a glimpse of someone like her or someone like me in these halls. I'm most certainly here for that.  But if there’s anyway that you can use her…  

BARTLET: It's unlikely.  

MULREADY:  Who's at the top of the list?   ... If I leaked it, would they believe me?  

BARTLET: Brad Shelton.  

MULREADY:  Really?  

BARTLET: You don't like him?

MULREADY:  He's a fine jurist. And in the event that Carmine, Lafayette, Hoyt, Clarke and Brannaghan all drop dead, the center will still be well tended.  

BARTLET: You want another Brady?

MULREADY:  Sure, just like you'd like another Ashland - who wouldn't?  The court was at its best when Brady was fighting Ashland.  

BARTLET: Plenty of good law written by the voices of moderation.  

MULREADY:  Who writes the extraordinary dissent? The one man minority opinion whose time hasn't come, but 20 years later some circuit court clerk digs it up at three in the morning.  Brennan railing against censorship.  Harlan's Jeremiad on Jim Crowe.  

BARTLET: Maybe you, some day?

MULREADY:  They can't put me on the court, just like you can't put Evelyn Lang on the court.  It's Sheltons from here on in.  

BARTLET: There are 4,000 protestors outside this building worried about who's going to land in that seat.  We can't afford to alienate all of them.  MULREADY:  We all have our roles to play sir. Yours is to nominate someone who doesn't alienate people.  

(FRIDAY)

(PRESS ROOM)

JOSH: Where's Toby?  

C.J.: Can you see this? [pointing to spot on her blouse]  

JOSH: Yeah.  

C.J.: It's water, it'll dry.

JOSH: Okay.  

TOBY: Ready?  

[on the TV in background...]  

REPORTER ... have gathered around..... Ashland having served 32 years on the United States Supreme Court, 12 of them as Chief will officially announce his retirement in just a moment.

ASHLAND: (at podium, on TV) Henry Staub retired, and I received a phone call, you were probably learning to walk. It's been an honor to pause in Henry Staub's chair, a joy to spend...  

C.J.: (to Bartlet) He’ll take three questions at the most, and then we’re off  .  

LANG:[to Lang] you ready?  [Lang is engrossed in Ashland's announcement] [To C.J.] That's a yes.

MULREADY: So, why a racial preference and not an economic one?  

CHARLIE: Because affirmative action’s about a legacy of racial oppression.  

MULREADY:  It’s about compromising admissions standards.  

CHARLIE: That's bull….excuse me. It's about leveling the playing field after 300 years of…

MULREADY:  See, this is where the liberal argument goes off the rails.  You get stuck in the past. Now you wanna comeback at me with grading is based on past performance, but admission should be based on potential on how a candidate may thrive with this sort of opportunity. And studies show that affirmative action admits have a higher predisposition to contribute to society.  

CHARLIE: Hang on, I gotta write this down.  

BARTLET: Ah-ah-ah.  Hand it over. [to Evelyn] Toby has a daughter, Molly, 10 months old. She's a looker and very bright. And someday he'd like to give her this copy of the 14th Amendment signed by the first woman to ever hold this job.  

LANG: Have you got a...  

TOBY: Oh... [hands her a pen] Would you mind adding that title?  

LANG: That's a bit premature, isn't it?  

BARTLET: No.

TOBY: Thank you.

C.J.: Mr. President.  

BARTLET: Shall we? [at the podium]

C.J.: Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States.  

BARTLET: The honorable Christopher Mulready, nominee for Associate Justice - United States Supreme Court. The honorable Evelyn Baker Lang, nominee for Chief Justice - United States Supreme Court. I look forward to taking your questions.

THE END

[krolock-in-the-snowlock]

Part 2 - Broadway’s Dance of the Vampires Commentary

Act 2

• And here we are again, after taking a week or two to recover from act 1

• I have no idea what’s going to happen but I’m gonna finish what I started, no matter what it takes

• Ok the video is ready, I don’t think I am but here we go

• Ok well the opening music was more like titanic than tanz

• Ooh ok we have lots of vague figures on stairs, probably vampires but it’s hard to tell with the 480p video quality

• Hmmm are we having a reprise of totale finsternis?

• That staircase is looking

• Glad to see the audience is cracking up again at the use of total eclipse of the heart

• Those couple guys are having a great time

• They’re like

• haHAAA

• Good for them

• Glad someone’s enjoying this

• I would be annoyed that this whole thing is seen as funny when the original scene is really cool but hey this whole thing is just one big old parody so what could I expect

• Distancing myself from it by calling it a parody is the only thing getting me through thiis

• I don’t think they’re using all the same lyrics as total eclipse so at least there’s that

• But the lyrics are too romancey and soppy ugh

• Michael your singing is actually quite nice aside from the hint of giovannui at the edges of your words

• ARE THEY NOT DOING THE HARMONIES

• NO

• The harmonies are the best part of the song noooo

• And I think his voice would probably harmonise quite well

• And he ISN’T SINGING TURN AROUND WITH THE BACKING SINGERS

• wHY

• there was no dramatic krolock walking down the staircase slowly

• but then again I don’t think giovanni could do that

• he’d probably trip on the second step, crash down the stairs and be like I’m a-fine! Hee hee!

• Oh

• Oh no

• I think they are doing harmonies but they’re just

• Wrong

• So wrong

• Or maybe good ol’ giovanni has just forgotten the key he’s supposed to be singing in

• Entirely possible

• I don’t think giovanni would particularly care about the rules of music

• Oh giovanni is literally just like come to the gates of hell with me and sarah seems chill with iy

• She’s singing along

• She’a having a good time

• NOOO they harmonised poorly during the verse where there should be no harmonies but they sTILL WON’T HARMONISE IN THE CHORUS

• I HATE IT

• -22/10 would not listen again

• But then that sums up the whole musical tbh

• The phrase ‘hold me tight’ should not be in this song

• Wrong vibes my friends

• This fails the vibe check

• Oh no they’re attempting a couple of the original harmonies

• 2 lines in and it’s not going well

• ???????

• Wait

• They’re both singing harmonies for sarah’s line but NOBODY IS SINGING SARAH’S LINE

• Sarah sing your own part

• What r u doing

• Sarah

• This is horrible pls stop

• Once again the staging is mostly just the two pigeons again

• Except the squawking is more evenly split between the two

• Back and forth

• Wait

• Hmm

• There appears to be either a cult or aa group of monks (is there a name for that? A flock of pigeons, a murder of crows, a prayer of monks?) gathering in the backgroubd

• Did nobody tell them yhis room was taken

• Or maybe sarah and giovanni didn’t book the room

• Maybe it’s just turned midnight and their hour is up

• Someone check the dramatic staircase room booking sheet pls

• Ok ok but there’s nothing you can do, a total eclipse of the heart??

• The whole point is that sarah is trying to choose to be free and make her own choices

• If there’s nothing she can do then that sort of defeats the purpose

• Oh wait yeah this sarah wasn’t locked up

• Never mind

• None of this makes sense anyway

• Really missing krolock’s cape rn

• Nothing looks as good without it

• If giovanni had a cape he might even make it from a -13/10 to nearly a 1/10

• Oh the cult is following giovanni

• Maybe he invited them..?

• Having that many candles on the stairs cab’t be practical

• And tbh is frankly quite dangerous if u ask me

• …and once again we end with some undeservinf applause

Round 4: the boys are back in town

• Ah here comes alfred with his self-narration

• Did he just lightly crack the fourth wall..?

• Oh god and the vampire hunting squad is joined by giovanni ‘buonasera’ von krolock

• Ew did he just say scrumptious? That word should be spoken by grannies and posh mothers alone

• I love how he’s just sat in a throne in the middle of nowhere

• Is this outside his castle? Inside? Somewhere else entirely? We may never know

• Oh sorry I stand corrected it appears I have been incorrectly naming giovanni this whole time

• His full name appears to be count giovanni coppolini travancoli von krolock (or something along those lines) of the sicilian side of the family

• Albus percival wulfric brian dumbledore anyone?

• I just.

• Why is he italian

• Krolock does not sound remotely italian

• Do vampires have a connection to italy?

• If so I am not aware

• Once again, I must ask: why is 75% of the staging of this musical just people stood at opposite ends of the stage facing each other

• Those bats look like family? I guess they would

• Oh my god why is alfred threatening giovanni

• I guess nobody’s gonna be pretending not to know what the others are

• Which gets straight to the point I suppose

• While not necessarily good at self-preservation, alfred sure is efficient

• But maybe too efficient because we still have an hour left to go

• This version of alfred is like a chihuahua with small dog sydrome yapping at a bigger dog, excpet giovanni is only slightly bigger than him and is probably a flea-infested chinese crested dog dressed in a halloween costume from wish.com

• …piccolo alfredo.

• This scene is really bringing out the offensively fake italian in giovanni

• WHY. IS. HE. OFFERING. ALFRED. A. SPONGE. SHAPED. LIKE. A. PENIS

• WHY IS HE MAKING IT GO FLACCID EWWWW NOOO

• I NEED EYE AND BRAIN BLEACH

• Are they saying… erbert..?

• Oh yay he’s french

• Quick tip, directors: the french would not pronounce the t either unless you added an e at the end (I think)

• Also e is more like air rather than er from what I remember

• So really it would be airbair??

• Which is stupid

• Tl;dr: do not make him french and still call him herbert

• Oh and herbert wearing bright blue? No thx I prefer his purple sparkles and black

• His hair and wig aren’t even done well *sigh* herbert would hate this

• See giovanni made a joke and the audience clearly liked it but I could not catch a word of what he said

• Oh god this herbert is wrong

• Herbert never actually speaks to krolock in tanz

• Which tbh is a shame but i prefer it over… whatever this is…

• Huh so it is set in transylvania, giovanni and airbear are just italian and french bc y not

• Neat

• Cool cool cool

• Wait so they were in the library the whole time???????

• I’m so confused rn

• Why does his library have a coffee bar..? you know what, never mind

• Ah ambronsius is clearly about to sing his book song

• …or maybe not? Giovanni is apparently trying to seduce him too..?

• The staging is a bit like vor dem schloss

• It’s the right time for it but who knows

• And one of the first decent harmonies of the musical is a line between giovanni and ambronsius singing about books bc apparently this is a book club now

• Oh no is koukol called boris

• If it isn’t boris johnson I’m gonna be disappointed (or relieved)

• Apparently the throne just glides backwards

• Like a magic carpet exceot it doesn’t leave the ground so i suppose actually more like a chair with wheels, which is much less exciting

• That didn’t deserve a clap

• I can’t figure out if they’re being open about their intentions or not because they seem to change their minds every 10 seconds

• There’s suddenly a bed?

• Oh god ok let’s see if they mess up carpe noctem

• Well the music is for an entirely different song so this will be interesting

• Hmm ok it is that completly different song

• Is that airbear..?

• Or alfred #2?

• Bc it should be krolock singing that song but idek

• At least we get a cape and mostly good singing

• Ah here we go

• Carpe noctem looking its usual weird self

• oH GOD NOT ITS USUAL SELF

• I do not remember winged demons dancing on the bed in the original

• But hey there’s more capes

• Something to be grateful for

• I’m really not sure what’s going on here

• Oh ok I can finally see the dream krolock

• He’s doing all those jumps in a suit rather than shirtless with leggings so he looks a little less cool sorry to him

• But yh i still have no idea who is singing the main vocals

• And it’s over

• Ha alfred lowkey looks like brian david gilbert in that one bit

• Sorry alfred your i’m scared but i’m gonna do this for sarah song isn’t quite as sweet when you’re super confident

• One thing i never understood was how ambronsius slept through alfred’s singing

• Ah it appears he did not

• He’s hugging ambronsius..?

• Does he do that in the original?

• Ha ha very funny professor sibilance and homovampiricus

• Oh and alfred happily just whacks chagal on the head nice nice totally in character

• The coffins are empty???

• Why is chagal in a nice coffin

• Where does giovanni sleep

• I guess in his floating mansion of a coffin

• If anything herbert would have that

• WHY IS MRS CHAGAL HERE

• WHY IS ALFRED EAGER TO KILL CHAGAL

• Oh he’s finally turning magda

• ..and his wife?

• Apparently

• Are they in a polyamorous relationship now

• They will not all fit in that one coffin I’m sorry

• And here’s herbert

• Ew herbert is so cheap

• Like he was flirty in the original but this is ridiculous

• Ugh too many cheap gay jokes

• airbear is sO much worse than I could have imagined

• Huh maybe alfred is confirmed a little bi here

• Ok yeah alfred is definitely having his bi awakening here

• And at least the whole thing is a little more consensual here

• Oh yeah alfred’s bi as hell, he’s singing harmonies with airbear

• But he’s still trying to escape?

• I guess he is a bit confused

• Wait so airbear ended that thinking alfred wanted him? Different but more accurate to the events

• 40 minutes to go

• Mrs krolock is apparently a disguise he uses around sarah too? Ok

• Well the vampires are about to wake so this is where things really should start getting good but I’m sure they won’t

• I don’t like that one of them laughed

• I don’t think they’re even harmonising

• Lazy

• Ah ok here we go harmonies

• These are nice actually

• The lower part is louder than usual, which actually works quite nicely

• The vampires aren’t as jolty and creepy though

• Ew the guitar is bad

• What was that horrible whining between notes

• Oooh this should be sie irren professor

• Oh no, I guess giovanni has decided to bypass the threatening and has gone straight to physical assault

• There’s a prophecy? Alright then. Bit abrupt

• Dammit so they’re going straight into die unstillbare gier without sie irren professor

• Maybe it’s for the best… giovanni was never going to sound that threatening anyway

• Half an hour to go

• I can do this

• Let’s see how he massacres one of the best songs in the musical

• Also he’s starting the song at the front of the stage not the top, and it’s just weird

• When giovanni has been so comedic and dumb the whole time this song just won’t work

• …and the firsg two lines don’t rhyme… great start

• He has a cape though

• Pls I just want 1 cape swish

• Oh but the cape is pathetic

• Oh

• This song could have been good

• But the lyrics aren’t as good in places and he’s still got hints of giovanni’s stupid accent

• What a tragedy

• Well they’re giving a little more detail about his previous victims which is interesting at the very least

• The lyrics don’t have enough syllables

• And ugh they’re not very good either

• There are a few nice ones but most of them…

• I use my body just like a bandage, I use my body just like a wound

• And the prize for worst lyric yet goes to…

• And what makes it worse is that those replaced ich will frei und freier werden und werde meine ketten nicht los

• One of my favourite parts of the song

• And I just want to add that he’s barely moving too

• He doesn’t climb to the top and run down to collapse on the floor

• He just. Stands there.

• Like a badly dressed rock.

• Oh but the stage tilts now to form a straight wall

• So it’s not even like they couldn’t have the stage rise as he runs down

• They just left it raised for him to do nothing on and then got rid of it completely

• They replaced doch die with buuuuuut which does NOT work at all

• You need two syllables to separate the two notes

• This is awful

• They changed the tune a tiny bit which is fine I guess, not as satisfying though

• I just

• *sigh*

• His voice is good. With good lyrics and the original character, he could have done it really well

• I hate that potential was wasted

• Which, again, goes for the whole trainwreck of a musical

• I can’t make out all of the lyrics and I’m not sure if that’s a mild annoyance or a blessing

• Like, i have no idea what he said in the last little bit

• But hey that’s that

Part 3 - The Ball and Beyond

[kpfeifferworld]

Why WON’T the Democratic machine learn from the past or note what’s happened in the GOP?

James Carville is showing up in the news and on news programs sounding the alarm that the Democratic Party has to be treading carefully lest we disenfranchised the “moderates”. I greatly fear too many will listen to this supposed “expert” in political strategy.

I suggest Mr. Carville FO and retire henceforth. Yes, he did a great job getting Bill Clinton elected back in the 90s. Since then he’s led us to destruction over and over. There was a reason his political strategies failed to get Hillary Clinton the nomination in 2008. His time had already passed and he didn’t understand WHY Barack Obama won and won big. Clearly, he still doesn’t.

When Obama won, he and his group set aside their own strategies and listened to the advice of these old “pro’s” who urged bi-partisan and middle-of-the-road policies. The end result was the Dems losing the house and Senate after only 2 years in the first Obama administration, never to take control again until this last election (and then only barely). 

Meanwhile, the GOP was overtaken by the Libertarian thinkers and the extreme right of their party. Do all the elected GOP actually have those ideologies? No. BUT they are smart enough to know that to win you have to turn out excited voters. On their side of the fence that means the extreme right. The Trumpites, Birchers, and other groups of extremists funded by groups like the Kochs and their numerous “foundations” and PACs. Play to the right and you win over and over again because all your radicals come out to vote in large numbers. Those conservatives who are more moderate stay at home or toss their votes to a third-party candidate or write in someone as George W Bush admitted doing in 2016. See, they learned. They know how to win elections even though their philosophy (what little they still have beyond no regulations and no taxes for the corporations and wealthy) is HIGHLY unpopular.

 It’s about voter turnout and it works the same way with the left as it does for the right. Obama won in 2008 because the left was fired up. The progressives, the minorities, the underdog workers were inspired and filled with hope. They came out and VOTED by a landslide. He won re-election but lost a lot of “moderates” (the so-called Reagan Democrats due to the fact so many were lured in by Ronnie even though they still claim to be Democrats) so it wasn’t as large a win. He was also stymied over and over with a Congress who REFUSED to work with him on anything, even things they claimed to want themselves.

So along comes 2016. Say whatever you want pro or con about Bernie Sanders but he tapped into something strong. He could have had the nomination had the Clinton machine not already decided it was her turn at bat. After 20 years of vilification by the right, she really didn’t have a chance. 

Moderates mostly stayed home or voted for Trump. Progressives kind of turned out (not as many of the young voters though who felt ignored by the machine). Even some Bernie supporters went for Trump thinking he’d rock the boat enough to move things away from the old ways and the unholy alliances of politicians and money/corporations/banks that plague all parties. And so we endured the reign of 45.

Yeah, we got the White House back and both houses of Congress BUT, the Senate win is so precarious that Joe Manchin is now the most powerful person in DC because he can side with the GOP and upset that balance. He could also threaten to change parties which would make the GOP the majority, put McConnell back at the wheel and change up the chairs of all the committees. It’s a bit better in the House at the moment BUT with 2022 coming up soon that could all change dramatically. Clearly, enough people voted Trump out but decided to keep giving power to the GOP. We won’t even speak of the Judicial branch that was packed with GOP choices in the Trump years! Now we have Carville and his ilk warning the Democrats not to get too progressive. You might just make the Joe Manchin’s upset! You might lose those “moderates”! Newsflash, has-been, those “moderates”, those “Reagan Democrats” and the others in the “middle” who rallied round the Trump flags in 2016… If they aren’t happy with the policies most won’t vote. 

Yeah, you can cater to them all you want and MAYBE they’ll vote Democratic but no guarantees. There might be some shiny new Trump or Reagan out there to lure them. If you do cater to them,  guess who else you lose?

The progressives. All those young voters. Those Black and Hispanic voters. All those “woke” voters you disdain in your comments, Mr. Carville. The ones who got excited and campaigned and voted in droves for Barack Obama in 2008, defeating your “moderate” pleasing Hillary Clinton. The ones weeping for Bernie or Elizabeth Warren. The ones who nod at good portions of policy ideas from them and AOC and others in the progressive wing. What do they do when they aren’t genuinely fired up? They don’t vote. Who wins when that happens?  Yeah, the GOP who learned to court the VOTING base of their party not try to win friends with Democrats.

We won in this last election because we had enough of 45’s disastrous time in office that we KNEW we had to vote him out. The other races show that the fire wasn’t that hot otherwise. That doesn’t bode well for 2022 folks. If we want to keep and even increase the majority in the two houses of Congress we BETTER have fired up voters. The moderates don’t get fired up. The GOP gets that. We need to learn it too. 

To cede that power to the Joe Manchin’s is to just hand it all back to the GOP and, folks, if that happens I guarantee the Democratic party won’t be anything but a minor player for generations. The GOP knows how to win by any and all means. They may not represent the majority of people with their policies but they can and will control all positions of power once they get in again. They are already setting the stage with restricting voter's rights and their old warhorse of gerrymandering and that’s just the beginning. 

The way to keep and increase the power base for the Democratic party is NOT to go back to ideas that don’t apply any longer. Clinton is long out of power and bi-partisanship bit the dust completely in the Obama years after being on life-support since Reagan at the latest. We have to learn. We have to realize that the only path to winning is to court the votes that will be excited to go stand in lines or mail in their ballots. The young, the minorities, the union supporters, etc. Yeah, that means the progressives. The only way we can lose is to keep making the same mistakes over, and over again. To refuse to learn from not only our mistakes but from what we see from the other side politically.

  Listen to Carville and those like-minded at your peril.

[105ttt]

Hey so here’s almost every line Shadow says in Sonic Adventure 2 but in OwO language under the cut.

Hero Story Lines

It aww stawts with dis... a jewew containing da uwtimate powew... Chaos Contwow!! My name is Shadow. I’m da wowwd’s Uwtimate Wife Fowm. Thewe’s no time fow games; fawewew! Dat bwue hwedgehwog again, of aww pwaces! Fwaker? I think you’we da fwake hwedgehwog awound hewe! You’we compawing youwsewf to me? Hah! You’we not even good enough to be my fwake! You nevew cease to suwpwise me, bwue hwedgehwog. I thought dat da capsuwe you wewe in expwoded in space. It was a Chaos Emewawd, wasn’t it? But... thewe’s no way you couwd have activated da Chaos Contwow... using an Emewawd dat’s fake. So... thewe’s mowe to you den just wooking wike me. What awe you, anyway? I see. But you know, I can’t wet you wive. Youw adventuwing days awe coming to an end!

Dark Story Lines

I'm Shadow da Hwedgehwog, da one and onwy Uwtimate Wife Fowm, awakened fwom a deep sweep dat wasted ovew fifty yeaws. Doctow Eggman, da gwandson of my cweatow, Pwofessow Gewald, has fweed me. Da Doctow awakened me, and fow dat, I have gwanted him a wish. Fiwst, wet me show you da twue powew I possess. In ten seconds, I was abwe to destwoy da miwitawy hawdwawe wike it was a toy. My name is Shadow. Since you wewe so kind to wewease me, my mastew... I wiww gwant you one wish. Behowd da twue powew I posses. I’ww be waiting fow you, in da centwal contwol woom, on da Space Cowony AWK. I’m Shadow da Hwedgehwog, da one and onwy Uwtimate Wife Fowm. I took da Chaos Emewawd fwom da nationaw wesewve bank, and now da miwitawy and powice awe chasing me. I don’t cawe if dey know who I am, because dey’ww nevew catch me. It’s just a waste of time. Thewe’s no time fow games, I have to get out of hewe, fast. Hmph, how pathetic. MAWIA!! What?! --Mawia...!-- Mawia... I stiww wemembew what I pwomised you... For aww da peopwe of dis pwanet... I pwomise you... WEVENGE! It aww stawts with dis... a jewew containing da uwtimate power... Chaos Contwow!! My name is Shadow. I’m da wowwd’s Uwtimate Wife Fowm. Thewe’s no time fow games; faweweww! I’ve been waiting fow you, Doctow. Now, I wiww show da gwowious achievement of what da wowwd’s weading scientist - Pwofessow Gewald - has cweated. Da AWK was da fiwst space cowony cweated by mankind. Not many peopwe know dat da AWK contained a top-secwet weseawch faciwity, whewe weapons of mass destwuction wewe being cweated. Dis one of of dem; a weapon capawe of destwoying an entiwe pwanet. Codenamed: “Da Ecwipse Cannon”. But, it’s been deactivated fow quite some time now... To weactivate it... lawge amounts of enewgy awe necessawy. Exactwy. To weactivate da machine, we need da seven Chaos Emewawds. Once you have dat, den you have da ultimate powew of destwuction, to use as you pwease. And den... da wowwd couwd be youws. I’m in position Doctow. Teww me when. I'm Shadow da Hwedgehwog, da one and onwy Uwtimate Wife Fowm. It wooks wike Bat-giww's faiwed hew end of da deaw. I weawwy couwd cawe wess about hew - it's da Chaos Emewawds I have to save. I have to huwwy because thewe's not much time weft befowe da bomb goes off. Ah... shoot. Twoubwemakew! I'm Shadow da Hwedgehwog, da one and onwy Uwtimate Wife Fowm. Dat othew hwedgehwog appeawed whiwe I was on my way to wescue Wouge. He's stawting to iwwitate me. It's time to show my true powew! Dat bwue hwedgehwog again, of aww pwaces! Fwaker? I think you’we da fwake hwedgehwog awound hewe! You’we compawing youwsewf to me? Hah! You’we not even good enough to be my fwake! CHAOS CONTWOW!! Da pwofessow said his wife’s wowk was dedicated to aww dose who wive down thewe. He once towd dat da weason fow his existence was, making peopwe happy thwough da powew of science. Mawia... I just don’t know anything anymowe... I often wondew why I was cweated; what my puwpose is fow being here. Maybe if I go down thewe, I... I wiww find da answews... maybe... ...Mawia... Hmm, you know... I didn’t come to save you. I came fow da Chaos Emewawds. Dat’s mowe den enough fow da demonstwation. So let’s get dis show on da road! At dis rate, da cannon wiww stiww take too much time to chawge up. If you want to unweash its fuww potentiaw, you’ww need aww seven Chaos Emewawds. Ouw thweats feww on deaf eaws. Soon enough... Mawia... I'm Shadow da Hwedgehwog, da one and onwy Uwtimate Wife Fowm. I weceived a message fwom Wouge to fowwow dat pwane. Da piwot is in possession of da wast Chaos Emewawd. Thewe awe so many cweepy wooking mountains ahead of me... nevew mind dat. I won't wet da pwane get away! Copy dat. I’m in puwsuit. Doctow, dey’we heading diwectwy towawd us. What shouwd we do? I'm Shadow da Hwedgehwog, da one and onwy Uwtimate Wife Fowm. Finawwy, aww the seven Chaos Emewawds awe set in place. Now the stage is set. I'm awmost finished! Aww this time, someone has been twying to get at da Ecwipse Cannon. Thewe's no hope fow him now! It's impowtant dat we don't make any mistakes wight now. I have to get wid of aww dose pests! I guess he was just a weguwaw hwedgehwog aftew aww. I don’t think so. So dat was youw pwan fwom da vewy beginning, huh? Ow was it a diwect owdew fwom da pwesident? Now I know who you awe! You’we dat govewnment spy, Rouge da Bat, awen’t you? I couwd say da same thing about you. You awe one pathetic cweatuwe! If you want to wive, weave da Chaos Emewawds whewe dey awe; da fwake Emewawd is good enough fow you! No doubt. Even if my memowies awe not weal, it’s still me; Shadow. And I wiww fuwfiww my pwomise to Mawia. Dat’s da onwy thing dat mattews to me now. I'm Shadow da Hwedgehwog, da one and onwy Uwtimate Wife Fowm. It's dat bwue hwedgehwog who's twying to destwoy da Ecwipse Cannon. I'm impwessed - I thought he died in da capsuwe dat was shot into space. Now I know dat bwue hwedgehwog is dangewous. When I'm finished with him, he'ww wish he died in da capsuwe. I'm gonna show him my reaw powew. You nevew cease to suwpwise me, bwue hwedgehwog. I thought dat da capsuwe you wewe in expwoded in space. So... thewe’s mowe to you den just wooking wike me. What awe you, anyway? I see. But you know, I can’t wet you wive. Youw adventuwing days awe coming to an end!

Last Story Lines

I'm Shadow da Hwedgehwog, da one and onwy Uwtimate Wife Fowm. Thanks to Amy, I was abwe to wemembew Mawia's wish. When I finawwy weawized it, da Uwtimate Wife pwototype twied to stop me. I'ww take cawe of dis, Sonic. You go twy to stop da powew of da Chaos Emewawds. It’s aww going accowding to pwan. Thewe’s no weason fow me to hewp dem. Besides, thewe’s no way to save anyone. --Mawia!-- Dat’s what I’ve pwomised hew... I must keep dat pwomise... Dat’s what Mawia wished fow... I gotta go now. I have to keep my pwomise to Mawia - and you. Weave dis one to me. I’ww take cawe of dis, whiwe you wun to get da Chaos Emewawds!! Get out, ugwy Pwototype! Is dat what... Chaos Contwow is? Done! I’ww take cawe of him! He’s stiww vewy powewfuw. What kind of monstew is dis? How awe you doing, Sonic? Sonic, I’ww cowwect da wings, why don’t you give it a twy? Hewe I come, you cweep! Awwight! Dis is wowking! Sonic, how awe you doing? Da wed swewwing may be a weak spot... Sonic, aim fow it! Sonic! I can’t keep dis up, huwwy! Gutha! I don’t have enough enewgy to twansfowm into my Supew Fowm! Sonic, what awe you doing? You’we awmost out of Wings! Switch pwaces with me! Sonic! You’we out of Wings! You wiww wose youw Supew Fowm! Mawia... watch me! I wiww fuwfiww youw wish!! Hahaha, Sonic! I think I’ve discovewed what da Uwtimate Wife Fowm is... it might be you! I must destwoy aww the eviw the pwofessow has cweated. Mawia! Chaos Contwow!! Mawia... dis is what you wanted, wight? Dis is my pwomise I made to you...

[transrevolutions]

first, we need to transition from vulture capitalism to welfare capitalism! as much as I’d love to snap my fingers and create a social democracy, there are sadly far too many centrists and fiscal conservatives for that to happen right off the bat. welfare capitalism would mean getting the tax system in shape so that the very rich are the ones actually paying the bulk of them! and tax money should go to things like community infrastructure rather than police/corporate subsidies. another thing we need to do is public! healthcare! it’s ridiculous that we don’t have this already!! also, improve state-run programs to help people in difficult financial situations!! oh, we don’t have the money? well look at that, 600 billion dollars for our military, do we really need all of that to bomb foreign countries? doubt it.

once we’re there (and this could take a decade or more, especially if neoliberals continue to be the dominant force in left-wing american politics), we need to focus on the innate system! here is where we implement the stock market policies I talked about above! we strengthen community involvement in the democratic process (which we should ofc be doing rn! but here it will be vitally important in order to prevent an auth-left/microeconomy issue!) and perhaps introducing more political parties so we have more options besides far right and center-left. by this point, nobody should be starving or swamped in medical debt!

here we should also potentially transfer to government-funded education. I’m not saying government-run, I’m saying that the government diverts enough money into the education system that schools will no longer charge huge and insane tuitions anymore!

see, this is where socialist views, specifically soc/dem ones, deviate from full communist ones. the market can still exist! companies can still exist!!! they simply cannot become the monopolized corporate giants we know today! mom and pop’s local grocery or toy store or restaurant can and will continue to exist! in fact these policies will help small businesses by eliminating the overarching parasitic companies like amazon that eat up all the consumer demand!

imagine, instead of having 5 mcdonalds in your town, you’d have one mcdonalds and four other local fast food/hamburger places! and the mcdonalds would treat their workers correctly! sure, food might be a bit more expensive, but since you’ll be getting paid more too due to the workplace regulations, it won’t really hurt you. 

as a by-product of this, especially if somehow we can get other countries on board (here we’re talking several decades and then some, politics is unfortunately a slow slow thing), carbon emissions will lower! companies will no longer have the need to resist economic policies, because the government will help cover transfer costs! community safety, not militarized police, will be the norm, which will save the government a lot of money too. no more riot gear and automatic weapons for cops!

a country, even a world could theoretically exist where there would be no homeless (except people who are homeless by choice). nobody dies of preventable illness because they don’t have enough money. young adults can explore themselves and the world without being swamped in student debt. the government has the citizens’ involvement and people are educated about how it works. police have been defunded and reformed, and the money goes to repairing old roads and preserving natural spaces. everyone has a living wage, and the workers own the means of production. people have more time to pursue creative passions, new ideas and inventions, and have decent sleep schedules! better, cheaper medicine and this will lead to people potentially even living longer!

this seems utopic. perhaps it is. but we can slowly climb to this ideal, one new lawmaker, one new bill, one new protest, one new organization, one new act of mutal aid at a time.

don’t give up. the world isn’t as hopeless as it seems. the darkest hour comes just before dawn.

the leaps in my logic are simply superior <3

oh no what happened this time

[roommateofmyimagination-blog]

Chapter 15: Lots of Fucks are being given

✗ Adrian  ✗

Midterms fuckin suck, training fucking sucks, Midterms and doing training all at once fucking sucks ass and can blow me. Everything currently going on in my life fucking sucks major monkey balls and i just wanna sleep. Normal human life was going great till midterms came around, that and finals are always fucking stressful. Drakul life was shitty from constantly having my ass handed to me by a skimpy ass bouncy as fuck cocky Bunny girl and a giant gravity using skimpy brutal savage cat. The flying lizard was a eh kinda thing, we both fucking sucked and didnt know what we were doing.

Now Im locked in a fucking closet by a white haired boy with cat ears and tail that matched parading around in fucking shorty short hot pants and a fucking cleavage window as a jacket cape bull shit. “aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH FUCK!!” i screamed and started beating rapidly on the door that was prohibiting me from leaving, “SOMEONE LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!!” I started pounding on the door with my boot and trying to get whatever was blocking the door away.

“Adrian?” A familiar deep male’s voice sounded muffled from the other side of the door, “Pup, where are you?”

“Dem!?” I shouted and pounded on the door, “Closet!! I was locked in the closet!!” i heard footsteps jog over to me and the sound of a chair moving out of the way, the lock clicked and the door was open. Seeing demyan looking concerned and confused in front of me. “Demyan!!” I bounced up and wrapped my arms around him, “i dont think ive ever been so happy to see you.”

“I know pup, who locked you in here?” He patted my back then pulled me away.

“Some fucking magical white haired shitty cat thats gonna get an ass kicking.” I pulled up my shirt and exposed my charm. “Hop to it, i bet the others are fighting too.”  he stared at me with disbelief on his face, he kneeled down and took the little charm in his mouth. Black surrounding me and when i looked up to see Demyan again I knew my magical outfit was on. “You coming to help?”

“No, i’ll supervise if we need to step in we will.” Demyan said with his hand on his hip.

“Alright, thanks.” I patted his shoulder and ran for the window that the cat man brought me through and jumped out the window.

“Pup!!!” Demyan shouted behind me, “You can not fly or levitate yet!!”

“HAHA!” i started laughing after i blinked to a nearby rooftop, “YOU SAID YET!! SO I WILL LEARN TO FLOAT!?” I pointed over at him, “just you watch me get stronger bub!”

I turned back around and continued to blink in different directions until i found where all the others were.I saw Pendragon standing on the edge of a rooftop. Making my way over to him i stood behind him as he stood on the railing. “Sup bats.” he turned and looked down at me, his red scales on his tail and wings reflecting the sunlight beautifully.

“You know whats going on?” I asked,putting a hand on my hip.

“Nah, i dont think Takeshi or Tsuyoi caused this either.” I turned to look across the buildings, “and im assuming you just made it here so that leaves you out.”

“And you’re talkin like you didn’t cause this either, so who could it have been?” I hopped up on the railing beside him. “Could it have been Lycaon?”

“Him or someone else we haven’t met yet.” He hummed then stared back at me, “what took you so long?”

“I was locked literally in a closet in my human form.” I groaned and played with my now black hair. “My partner came and rescued me though.”

“Partner as in your Magicae Socius? Or like...Partner.” the second time he said partner it came out in a vaguely southern like accent and he had a toothy grin on his face.

“Demyan came and saved me.” I shoved him in the arm.

He chuckled lightly, “sorry sorry.” and rubbed his arm where i shoved him. “We should go and help though, chance to see what the heroes are like in our little story.” he pointed down at two males who looked like they were talking with each other. I narrowed down on a man with long white hair with matching cat ears and tail.

“Oooooohohoh.” I laughed wickedly and felt a smirk creep on my lips, “the kitten is mine.”  I bumped Pendragon’s arm with my fist, “you get the other one.”

“Sounds good to me.” he spread his wings out wide and dived down before taking off towards the other rooftop.

Teleporting my way over to the duo, i blinked right above them and the cats ears flicked and he and his buddy moved out of my way. “There ya are ya fucking kitten,” I landed between the two of them, “I’ve been lookin’ for your ass.” i brought my hand up a bit, the ink ability i so call it swirling up from my hand and walked towards the cat. A sudden rock pillar of some sort came at me. Flinching a bit i blinked to avoid the impact trying to get the cat once again and he dodged.

You want me, come and get me.” he said and jumped off the building.

I looked up and shouted, “KEEP THIS ONE BUSY BUDDY!” i ran towards the edge that the cat boy jumped off of.

“GOT IT!” Pendragon’s voice rang from behind me but was still clearly audible because of the heightened strength to my hearing from being a bat. The sound of the other man yelling from shock came shortly after Pendragon’s voice.

The fight with the cat man, who called himself Snowfang, was going quite well from my perspective. Got a kiss from him and got him to turn red from flirting, thats always a plus side right? He did more physical damage to me nailing me in the stomach and almost making me fall flat on my face or ass with the ice being every-fucking-where. All seemed well, until the view of Snowfang’s body was no longer in my vision and it was filled with black. But it wasn’t the same feeling as when i blink myself away from something, it felt different, felt more like Demyan when he teleported us around.

“What the hell?!” I shouted before the black disappeared and i saw Takeshi, and Pendragon in front of me, both of them facing me. Tsuyoi had his back to us and standing a bit of a distance away from us. His head was down and his shoulders relaxed. Kenaz standing off to his side and talking softly to him.

“So you’re finally here now too.” Takeshi spoke, she sounded like she was in pain.

“You okay?” I asked and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Y-yeah, i just have a pounding headache.” She closed her eyes and put her hand on her head.

I put my arm around her shoulders and brought her in closer to me, letting her rest her head on my chest and rubbing her back. “Is Tsuyoi okay?” I looked over at him.

“He seemed confused in his own weird way, not like Takeshi here.” Pendragon turned to look over at Tsuyoi’s back, “I think something with his hero happened and it made him over think something?”

“And you?” Takeshi spoke softly as she turned to look at Pendragon.

“Im fine, i think Drakul and I came in late enough we didn’t have long of a fight.”  he scratched his head, “plus my scales are kinda armor like so i dont take much damage.”

“So whats going on here?” I turned to look over at Demyan who was huddled with Lappin and Ryaikum.

“We were told to pull you from the fight, other heroes were coming to assist and we would have been outnumbered.” demyan sounded urked from how he was talking. He turned to look over at Kenaz who was walking toward us with Tsuyoi at his side. “Kenaz, could any of this have-” Demyan spoke and was cut off from Kenaz.

He hissed sharply and glared at Demyan, “I didn’t tell anyone anything, so dont put the blame on me or my cub.”

“But you did come from-” Ryaikum spoke and was cut off as well.

Kenaz let out a long loud hiss with the mixture of a growl, “Like i said, i didn’t tell anyone anything!” His ears were standing straight up and his tail was puffed out from how angry he was getting. “This was not my fault or Tsuyoi’s, we did nothing wrong.” he dropped his tail and his ears, still glaring, “if anything, we should assume that this mess was caused by someone who isn’t here.”

“The only person i know who isn’t here whos on our side is that werewolf kid, Lycaon.” I spoke still holding onto Takeshi. “Is there anyone else that could be a villain other than us five?”

Demyan spoke calmly, “we do not know, there could be.” He held his hand to his chin, “we do not all associate with each other, and that we have Kenaz here others are weary of him as well.”

“Why?” Pendragon spoke and Ryaikum walked over to him. “Did Ken do something wrong?”

The four of them were silent for a moment before Kenaz spoke with a defeated look and tone. “It does not concern you children.” He put a hand on Tsuyoi’s back, “we’re going home.”

“Tsuyoi, are you okay?” Pendragon asked and extended a hand and touched Aj’s arm gently.

He looked at Pendragon’s hand then up at his face, letting out a sigh, “yeah just...something happened and I’m just...thinking it over.” he rubbed the back of his head, “but Kenny and I should head home, everyone should rest up and tend to wounds given we dont have a healer.”

“Sounds good to me.” Lappin spoke and held his hands out to me for Takeshi. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. “She seems to be in a lot of mental pain so i should take her home and let her sleep.” He rubbed her head gently, “inform me if anything happens.” he snapped his fingers and a swirl of wing wrapped around them and when it disappeared they were gone.

“Yes, please do inform me as well.” Kenaz spoke, “and if this was caused because of me, i am sorry and i will watch myself.” He held onto Aj, a faint Orange light around them and breaking apart into little firefly like lights and they were gone.

Pendragon sighed heavily, “I feel bad for those two.” He sounded just as upset about this whole thing, “we should have helped sooner.”

“We did what we could.” I put a hand on his shoulder, “they should be fine, right? They are level two.”

“Yeah but who ever did that to Takeshi must just be as strong if not stronger than she is.” he looked down at his feet, “and Tsu, he...seemed hurt and confused but in an emotional way.”

I blinked and stared at him. Pendragon was covered in cuts and bruises himself and yet he showed no signs of being in pain himself, he was only showing concern towards Takeshi and Tsuyoi. “You catch on to things fast and care a lot dont you? Even with you being hurt like that.”

He sighed a little with a chuckle mixed in, “I care more about friends then i do myself.” he smiled, “you good?”

“Yeah, i think i just got a bruise on my stomach from being kicked.” I patted his shoulder and then ruffled up his hair, “we should head out too, rest up Pen.”

“Thanks you too.” He smiled at me and hit me on my shoulder gently.

I walked over to Demyan and he put a hand on my arm. Waving to Pendragon, the black smoke wrapped around Demyan and I and we were closer to the school buildings. Demyan helped me detransfrom and we stood in an alley between buildings. Pulling out my phone, i texted Val back. “So, Demyan, any idea whats going?”

“No.” He mumbled and leaned back on the wall. “This was very sudden and has confused all of us.”

“Why do you think its Ken’s fault?” I continued to text Val back, “what did he do?”

“Kenaz is not like us.” He said flatly, “he use to be on the Hero side then came to our side, so many of do not trust him completely.”

“Do you trust him, you allow him to train with us.” I leaned against the wall beside him and pulled out my pack of cigarettes, lighting one and holding it in my mouth.

“I trust him more than others.” He tilted his head back and looked at the sky, “I do not allow him to train with you young ones, i am not the leader of the four of us.”

“So you guys just dont trust him cuz you think he’s a spy?” I took in a deep inhale and let it out, “Seems kinda shitty but logical.”

“How do you think it is a bad thing?” He turned to look at me. “It is valid we think that he is a spy.”

“Yeah but,” I paused looked at my feet, “you’re judging him by who he was or even is. Seems low of you guys.”

“We are not the good ones here, pup.” He mumbled and turned away from me.

“But you dont seem like complete bad guys.” I took in another inhale and let it out through my nose, “Like pendragon. He’s probably got his own dark issues, but he seems like a nice guy.” I turned my head to look over at him and he was looking at me. “See what i mean? Maybe its us whos not doing something right?”

“Hmm.” he hummed, “you could be right but we will talk about this another time.” he poofed into his little bat form and crawled into my pocket.

Dropping my cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. I walked to our building and up the stairs. When i got inside, i saw Val had been hurt, blaming it on the explosions that happened earlier with the fighting. He argued with me about the help and if he needed to go to the hospital. I got to help him patch up and had him let me hold a cold towel against his side. He eventually passed out on his bed with Aero on his stomach.

I sat on the edge of his bed staring at him. Brushing his bangs from his face, “I hope he’s not too hurt.” I looked over at Aero who meowed softly at me. “Mind if i help ya heal him?”i smiled down at her, she tilted her little head to the side and meowed once more. “I’ll take that as a yes.”  I picked her up gently and put her to the side of Val. Running a hand down his side, i gave him kisses down his body and anywhere that had a cut or bruise. I looked over at Aero who blinked slowly at me and she crawled back onto his stomach,“Kisses always make things better, princess.” I rubbed her head and down her back and gave her a soft kiss on the head. “Take care of him.” I got up and brought his blankets over his legs.

Demyan sat on my dresser and squeaked at me. “Do i need to kiss you too?” I chuckled and rubbed his little head. He walked around in a circle on the top of the dresser and stopped. Leaning down i gave his little head a kiss and walked to the bathroom. Taking a quick warm shower. I checked my stomach and there was a minor but large bruise from Snowfang’s kick right above the chain that hung snug to my body. Running a hand over my stomach, i walked out and got dressed in a pair of loose sweatpants and crawled into bed. Plugging my earbuds in to my phone and turning some music on softly, sticking one bud in my ear. “You sleeping with me demyan?” I asked and looked at him. He flapped his wings and bounced over to my bed and crawled onto my pillow by my face. “Night little dude.”

Waking up the next morning, i ripped my earbuds from my head and looked over and Val wasn’t in his bed. Yawning and getting up, i walked to the living space and saw Val with his cat. Waving at them, i went to the bathroom cuz i had to fucking pee and i am not very social until after i pee then all is good in the morning.

I talked with Val for a bit before going back to the bedroom and getting on my bed and sitting against the wall with my laptop and having my headphones in. Val came into the room a bit after to change, and i quickly glanced up to see him change and watched him a bit before looking back down at my laptop. Demyan sitting on the bed beside me.

Demyan must have heard the door click shut because he poofed into his human form and sat on the bed beside me. “What are you working on?” He leaned down against my shoulder and looked at my screen, pulling my earbud out of my ear.

“Something for my photo class.” i mumbled. “Teacher wants us to write ideas down for what we wanna do for projects, or things we enjoy taking photos of.”

“And you can not write this?” he asked and played with a bit of my hair.

“My handwriting sucks.” i continued to mumble and work on my list.

Demyan picked his head up and looked out the window by my bed. He put a hand on my shoulder, “adrian, we have to go.” he sounded shocked.

“Huh?” I looked over at him and his amber eyes were wide and he was staring out the window, “why?” moving my laptop and trying to turn to look at what he saw.

“Just believe me, pup. We have to leave.” He crawled off the bed and ran for the front door.

“Woah woah mister you have to change!” I shoved my laptop onto my bed and got up, “plus im not dressed to go out.”

“Then get dressed then pup.” He hissed and snapped his fingers, black wrapping around him and he was wearing modern clothes. A loose white tshirt that showed a lot of his collarbone, Black skinny jeans over black sneakers. His ears were rounded like mine were as well. “Please hurry.” He sounded like he was really in a rush.

“Fine fine!” I grabbed a pair of fresh underwear, my own jeans that were torn, and through on a light zip up jacket and zipped it up enough that most of my chest was covered. Demyan jogged to the door and pulled it open, leaving me in the bedroom. “Aaaaaah!” I bounced and grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys. Grabbing a pair of shoes that was easy to pull on and headed out after demyan. When i was by the stairs Demyan was already mostly down them. “Demyan! Wait the fuck up!” I jogged down the stairs as fast and carefully as i could.

“We can not wait!” He yelled back at me and then stopped turning around and looking for something. “Your phone, can you contact Valentine?” He grabbed my shoulders when i reached him.

“Uh yeah, sure?” I pulled out my phone and clicked on the little red velvet cupcake that i had for Val’s contact picture and pressed call, holding the phone to my ear. It rang several times and i eventually just got his voice mail. “He didn’t answer….”

“Fuck!” Demyan hissed, “then we will look for them the old fashion way.” He let go of me and took off running.

“Wait, FUCKIN HOLD UP!!” I shouted and stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

I ran after Demyan. He was faster than i thought he would be. He was fit yeah and had long legs, but holy shit he’s fucking Fast as hell. I could barely keep up and he didn’t look like he had to catch his breath. He weaved gracefully around people and through a crowd. People would look back after Demyan ran past to see why he was running and would move out of the way for me to pass by as well. We ran around almost the whole campus before Demyan stopped to catch his breath. He stood straight and his chest rising and falling.

I made my way up next to him and put my hands on my knees, “holy shit...you’re fast.”

“Pup, please where do you think they went?” he panted and put a hand behind his head, fucking with his hair.

“We’re looking for Val?” I stood up and leaned back, with my hands on my lower back.

“Yes, and the woman he was with.” Demyan took in a sharp breath.

“Why do you care so much?” I asked and turned to look over at him.

He wasn’t even horribly sweaty, but he pulled his shirt up to touch his face and exposed his stomach. “Remember about the woman i told you about?” He asked and dropped his hand down, i nodded to him. “I think i saw someone who looked like her, and i must know.”

I hummed and pondered where Val could have taken this woman. “Hmmm, theres a lake here by the school, could have gone there.”

“Lead?” he raised his brow at me.

Groaning, i patted his shoulder and took off behind him. He followed shortly behind me and kept up a good pace to stay just behind me. When the lake came into view is when he touched my back and ran ahead of me at that stupid fast pace. He ran past me and weaved through some trees. I booked it and tried to keep up with him, and i did, and it meant me running square into his back and he didn’t flinch.

I backed off him and looked around him, seeing Val stare wide eyed between this woman and Demyan. The woman was really fucking beautiful and demyan staring at her seemed totally normal. I looked over at Val and he wordlessly motioned me to come with him. I walked towards val quietly and he put his hands on my back and pushed me away from them.

“We’re going to leave them be.” He giggled and we walked down on a graveled path that went around the lake.

“Uh, yeah okay.” I mumbled and looked back at the two of them, still staring at each other.

Val looked back with me as we walked, and he let out a soft giggle when the woman Tackled Demyan to the ground. He grabbed me by my arm and dragged me around to the other side of the lake where we could see them but not hear. When we made it over we both saw that they were kissing and Val made me look away, saying things like it was rude to watch them.

“So she a friend of yours?” I asked, plopping down on the grass and pulling Valentine down with me.

He sat down close behind me, “Yeah she’s one of my best friends.” he had a stupid happy smile on her face.

“Hmm, and that cat anklet?” I asked and looked at his legs.

“She gave it to me as a friendship thing.” he smiled happily at me, “and that man, hes?”

“My friend that i dont get to hang out with often. Just happened to meet up with him soon after you left.”  I put my my cheek in my hand.

“And why did you run here?” He chuckled and held his feet in butterfly position.

“He’s crazy.” I said flatly.

“Thats it?” Val giggled.

“Yep.” I turned to face him with a stupid toothy grin. “I wonder what they’re talking about.”

⧫--Demyan--⧫

Adrian and Valentine decided to give Aerowen and I our space. I stared at her wordlessly. She was missing her white cat ears and her fluffy white tail, dressed in modern clothing, similar to myself but she looked more put together in her capri blue jeans, purple crop top that showed too much of her stomach and framed her chest in a….lack of better words highly pleasant way, blue jean crop jacket that hid some of her torso, and black flats. She looked just as beautiful with this look as the day i first met her. No matter her form, no matter what she wore, she was still devine looking stood out so much with the long white hair that showed her yellow eyes like they were jewels.

“Ah, excuse me princess.” I mumbled and bowed my head to her, “I should not be staring at you in such a way.” I looked down at my feet and avoided eye contact with her.

“Demyan, stand up please. I never want you to bow to me.” she spoke softly and i heard her feet walking towards me. Her black flats came into my view.

Slowly picking my head up to look at her, when I meet her eyes she had a large smile on her face and her arms were outstretched towards me on each side of my head.She jumped up and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Ah, Princess!” I quickly wrapped my arms around her but her sudden jump and her weight coming at me caused me to fall backwards in the grass. Her chest was pressed closely to mine, her body laying ontop of me with her legs between mine. She had her face buried in the swoop of my neck before picking her head up to look at me with the same smile on her face. It was such a soft smile, her lips shining from the little bit of gloss she had on. Her eyes shined just as her lips did, she looked so happy….and so beautiful. “Oh, my princess.” I took my hands off her waist and put a hand on each side of her face, cupping her cheeks in my hands, “I have missed you so much.”

She let out a soft chuckle, “I’ve missed you too. I’ve missed you so so much.” she spoke sweetly, words sounding like silk. Her eyes softened and tears started to form at the outer corners.

Taking my thumb, i brushed her tears away before they rolled down her cheek. “My dear, please do not cry.” I smiled softly up at her, “I never wish to be a reason that you cry.” i tucked some of her long beautiful white hair behind her ear.

I patted her back and propped up on my elbows. She ran a hand over her eyes quickly before sitting up and resting on her knees between my legs, removing her plush chest from mine. Sitting up onto my bottom, i ran a hand through my hair and removed any grass shavings from the back of my hair. Aerowen chuckled softly in front of me. I scooted my body closer to her, bringing my knees up as if they were walls to keep Aerowen in place. She stared at me with soft eyes and a smile on her face. I took her face in my hands once more, she nuzzled her cheek in my hand briefly and looking up at me. I gently put my forehead to hers. Her eyes half lidded as she brought her chin up ever so slightly. I let out a shaky exhale, my bottom lip trembling a bit. Aerowen wrapped her arms around my neck her hand lacing up into my hair, pulling me down closer to her. Smiling lightly, i closed my eyes and closed the gap between us. Her soft lips pressed to mine, i pulled away slightly opening my mouth just a bit to have Aerowen’s lips capturing mine again and her tongue slipping into my mouth. Leaning into her kiss, i kissed her back passionately getting the same response from her. Her arms wrapping around my neck more, pressing our bodies together.She had a soft purr rumbling in her throat, humming softly as well.

Pulling away from her to breath by a bit, she leaned back closer to me. Chuckling softly, i put a finger gently against her soft plump wet lips, “Princess, as much as i have longed to do that, i must breath.”

She eyed me before giggling softly and leaned away from me, “How long have you been on earth? Where did you end up going after we were ripped away from each other?”

“I have not been here long, i have not kept track of the time to be honest.” I ran a hand through her hair. “After we were forced to part, i was being kept under watch. I was not allowed to leave the school grounds much if at all.” I butt my forehead to hers again. “My kingdom...believed i was betraying them, and i was leaking our secrets to you.”  leaning away from her and cupping her face in my hands again, “Princess, what are you doing here? Your father he would never allow this.”

She looked down at the ground between us then up at me, putting her hands on my wrists, “I know he didn’t allow this, I’m sure he knows by now. But, I didn’t want to be stuck at school and I didn’t be forced back home. I was offered to come here and find a partner because of my high standings in the school so I took it.” she spoke firmly and the determination in her eyes burned brightly.

“But...princess...this is dangerous work.” I spoke softly taking my hands off her face and holding both of her hands between mine and bringing our hands to my lips. “I wish not to know you are risking your well being.”  I put my forehead on her closed hands. “Especially if i were to be the one who was behind you getting hurt.”

“Demyan.” She spoke softly and her hands left mine to touch my face. “I will be fine, i found a strong partner.”

Those words are when a sudden thought hit me. I looked up at her with wide eyes, then pain hitting me in the heart. “My princess.” I held her hand in mine once more, “was your partner the same man who I found you with?”

She stared me deep in the eyes, her gaze being fierce and strong. It would make any other man quiver under her and bow. “It was yes, he may seem like he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but when it comes to protecting me there’s something that boils up in him that makes him stronger then others can imagine. He left me with you because he trusts you enough with me. But I know he’s watching.” she spoke sweetly and firmly at once.

Staring back at her with wide eyes, softening up by a bit. I chuckled to myself and leaned forward, placing my forehead on her shoulder, far to close to her chest that would upset anyone if they were to see. “Princess, you are in love with a fool of a man.”

“Excuse me?” She put her hands on my back, feeling like she dusted some grass off. “How so.”

“Because the man you saw me with, is my pup.” I wrapped my arms around her waist before turning my head and putting my face in the swoop of her neck. “And we have been together for so long now...and it has yet to hit me that when i heard that man call a white cat Aero it never dawned on me that that same cat would be the woman i love.”

She picked up my head with her hands, “Well, if they figure it out then they figure it out. Yes your pup is rough around the edges, but there’s a soft side to him that is being brought out by my kitten.” She giggled softly and ran her fingers through my bangs and pushing them back out of my face, “Who ever said I wanted a stuck up good boy anyways?”

Chuckling to myself slightly and putting my hand on my face, “Princess.” I let out a loud exhale and grabbed her by her waist and pulled her in close to me, her chest pressed to mine once again, and fell back onto my back once more, “You are too much for such a simple man like myself.” I smiled up at her, her white hair falling off her shoulders and draping both of our faces.

She laughed happily before moving her hair back and raising her brow at me, “Also, question, I haven’t seen my cousin Kenny in a while, you haven’t by any chance know where he is do you?”

“Princess, i do know where he has been.” I picked up a piece of her hair and brought it to my lips, “but i do not know if i wish to tell you, aside from that he is fine.”

She purred low and loud, “If you tell me I’ll give you a special wake up when they boys leave the apartment.” she had a wicked smile on her lips as she lowered her weight completely ontop of me and had a hand up to rest her cheek on.

Eyeing her, “My princess, i am a gentleman and you know this.” I put my hands behind my head and smirked at her, “I do not think your persuasion will work on me.”

She placed her lips on mine, kissing me softly, “Oh my love, I know where he is. I can tell who he is from a mile a way.” she touched the tip of her nose to mine, “He’s with someone I trust very much. as much as he torments her and he doesn’t know it.”

“Hmmm.” i hummed softly and put a hand on the back of her head and tilted my head to the side bringing her down closer. Kissing her once more, our lips parted and playing with each others tongue. “But can i trust you with him Princess?” I asked still smirking, “or must i distract you and keep you from him?” i leaned up to continue kissing her.

“You can trust him with me. He has strong senses. Even with him just watching us, he’s watching the area around us. He’s willing to expose himself to your pup if it means protecting

me. But I’m more than happy to be distracted by you.” she pulled away from me and brushed her thumb over my lips and removed some gloss that transfer over. “He is my ice prince and your pup has melted a part of his heart.”

“Oh but princess, if anyone knew of our relationship, everyone would know that i would never hurt you or cause anything to hurt you.” I brushed my hand over her cheek. “But, if we could, i would give all of me to keep you distracted in the best of ways.”

“And when that day comes, I’ll gladly take that distraction.” she propped herself off of me and turned and looked across the lake. Following her gaze i looked to see Adrian and Valentine talking and looking over at us, “How long with them do you think until they figure it out? Wanna take bets?” there was a hint of mischief in her voice, when i turned to look at her she had a wicked smile on her lips.

“Hmmm,” I hummed and thought, “princess this is not an activity you should partake in. but i think they will figure out soon.” I moved my body to slide out from under her and stood up, offering her my hand and helping her up.

“How long, you have to be specific my love?” She wrapped her hands around my waist and looked up at me.

“What are you willing to bet my princess?” I took her jacket in my hands and fixed it so it didn’t expose too much of her chest, to myself or anyone honestly, and fixing her hair so it laid neatly after our tumble.

She tapped her finger on her lip, “I”m willing to bet spending an entire day with you without Val, also allowing you to spend a day with my kitten as well. If that counts for a bet. If you would like me to bet something else I can do that.” she smiled up at me sweetly.

“Then i will bet my body.” i held her chin lightly and smiled, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “No rules applied, just you deciding what you want to do with me.” I kissed her cheek and pulled away from her, her face now coated with a soft pink blush and her eyes wide.

Her eyes narrowed and her smile spread on her lips as she stood on her toes and pressed close to me, bringing my head down so she could whisper, “Then it’s a deal my dark prince.”

Shivering at her whisper, i put my hands around her waist and pressed my lips to her neck. “Are we allowed to cheat and interfere?”

“Do you want me to lose that fast?” she chuckled happily and had her hand up to her mouth.

“No, in all honesty princess.” I kissed her jaw then behind her ear, “I wish to lose just that quickly.” I cupped the other side of her face and kissed her cheek, “I know that i just called myself a gentleman, but every man breaks eventually my dear.”

“So how long are you going to bet? I’m going to bet at least two weeks.” her face was slightly warmer from a small blush and she held her composure well.

“I will go with a month.” I turned to look over in their direction. “Hmm, yes, i’ll stand by that.”

“Then its a deal.” she smiled and held her hand out to me. “Lets shake on it.”

“But can we not seal the deal with a kiss?” I asked and tilted my head to the side, staring at her lips and glancing down just a bit at her chest before looking up.

She sighed lightly and shook her head “We can seal our deal with a kiss yes.” she brought her head up to look at me.

Taking that moment to my advantage, i pressed my lips to hers and kissed her passionately. She opened her mouth first and let me slip my tongue in her mouth. Putting my hands on her sides i held her close. We parted our kiss briefly just so we could move our heads to a different direction and continue the kiss from where we left off. Aerowen’s hands grabbed onto the front of my shirt as she smiled into our kiss. Putting my hands on her stomach, i pulled away from her and ended our kiss there.

Looking down at my feet then back up at her face through my black messy bangs, “My princess, i could kiss you endlessly.” licking my lips and tasting the lip gloss that was barely visible on her lips now after all of our kissing.

She tried to lean in back towards me and i kept her away just a little, she pouted a bit before smiling “If both of us are wrong, we share a kiss every day for the next month and I get to heal your boy whenever he comes home injured.”

“I will agree on the kissing, now as to healing my pup then that is up to him.” I chuckled lightly, “he is greatly disturbed by how you do that and i do not think he likes it much.”

“Well, I’m glad you approve half of it, because if you did or didnt, it didnt matter.” she smiled wickedly, “because i was going to heal your boy anyways no matter who told me yes or no.”

“That sounds very much like you, princess.” i played with her hair lightly.

“Can you start calling me by my name, demyan?” she softened her smile, “it feels so formal when you call me Princess all the time.”

Staring at her with wide eyes for a second, i smiled softly and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Even if you were not an actual princess, I would still call you my princess.” I turned my head ever so slightly and whispered, “or shall i call you my goddess now? You are so divine and beautiful, it would be easy for you to be one.”

“They day you call me Aero will be the day that no one will ever be able to pull me away from you. That’s the day where I will protect you with my honor and life.” she ran a hand under my chin and walked around me, after catching my eye and winking at me. I quickly turned around to try and grab her and she spun around just out of my grip. “You should go grab your pup and get back home.” she purred.

“And you?” I tried to grab her once more and she got out of my reach.

“I’ll grab my little kitten and we will finish what we had planned.” she smiled and walked back up to me. Putting her hands on my chest and dragging them down to my hips and she played with the top of my pants. “You look nice in tight pants too.”

“Thank you, princess.” i brought her hand up and kissed the back of her hand, “you look beautiful in everything.” dropping her hand  i turned to look and see Adrian and val were still on the other side of the lake. Letting out a loud sharp whistle to get Adrian’s attention, he snapped his head and looked over at us. I waved for him to come this way. “I will see you later, my dear.”

⧫--------⧫

My phone vibrated in my pocket, pulling my phone out i got a text from Aj. ‘Dinner at our place on saturday sound aight?’

I showed my phone to Val, “sound good to you?”

“Yeah!” he smiled up at me, “should be fun!”

“I hope so.” I chuckled and replied back to Aj. A sharp loud whistle hit my ears just as i finished texting Aj back. Looking up i saw Demyan waving at us to come over. “Cmon, lets go.” I got up and dusted my ass off, waiting for Val to get up too.

We both walked over to Demyan and the pretty woman. Demyan put a hand on my back and dragged me off. “See ya later cupcake.” I held up a peace sign behind me for Val to see as we walked away. The walk back to the dorm was silent between us until we got inside and to the bedroom.

“Soooo?” I asked and flopped down on the bed.

“Hm?” Demyan turned and looked at me, snapping his fingers and poofing into his usual human form. Black puff pants with his crop top jacket thing and his pointed ears.

“Did it go well?” I grinned stupidly up at him. “You seemed to be kissing a lot.”

“It did, it went very well.” He blushed a little, “thank you for coming with me.”

“No problem, just next time lets go a little slower, your fast as fuck.” I fell onto my back on the bed and kicked my shoes off.

“Actually, you will be training more for that reason.” he smiled wickedly, “you have no stamina in you, so on your break you will be working on that.”

“Excuse me?!” I popped up, “cant i have this week off?”

“No.” he sad flatly and held his smirk on his face.

“Fuck you.” I held my middle finger up and fell back on my bed. “Fine, only if its worth it.”

“It will.” he hummed happily, “I will give you an upgrade if you get stronger.”  He walked between my legs and leaned over me, his hands on either side of my body, staring down at me with those intense amber eyes and his black messy hair hanging down. “Sounds fun does it not?”

I started up at him smirked, “Oh fuck yeah.”

[ralphmorgan-blog1]

After the game, can the good feelings last?

(CNN)The congressional boys of summer ditched partisan hardball for seven innings of healing Thursday at their annual baseball classic just 36 hours after a horrifying gun rampage at a Republican batting practice.

But after the last at bat of a night of rare unity in Washington, and a game the Democrats won 11-2 in seven innings, some were wondering just how long the political truce will last. If history, and the current state of polarized, angry politics, is any guide it won't be long, even with the best of hopes and intentions.

With a special counsel narrowing in on the President, a contentious Obamacare repeal bill making its way through the Senate and a divisive budget and debt ceiling showdown looming, tensions are surely just on hold.

And while rattled lawmakers and staffers on Capitol Hill instinctively drew together after the shooting, sitting together at the game, that doesn't mean their constituents and attack dogs in warring partisan media establishments will heed a moment of Beltway togetherness.

Congressional baseball players: We must unite

"We are dealing with a deeply entrenched, deeply ingrained system that has been perpetuated for a long time, so is it easy to change? No. But can we, of course we can, we just have to have the will to do it," Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick told CNN's Phil Mattingly.

Plenty of members of Congress, shocked at what happened Wednesday morning at baseball practice in suburban Alexandria, Virginia, and deeply concerned about their own safety are now talking about the need to conduct political debate in a more civil way.

Many connected the shooting rampage to the fearsome tone of current political rhetoric, since the shooter, James Hodgkinson, from Illinois, left anti-Trump screeds on his social media page.

"The poisonous atmosphere in Washington and the polarization in our country causes warped, twisted minds to do terrible things," Maine Sen. Susan Collins told CNN on Thursday.

Arizona Republican Rep. Martha McSally said that the rhetoric in the country had reached such levels that civil debate was all but impossible.

"Things are enflamed to such a hot point right now," she said, bemoaning the "rhetoric, the hatred, the vitriol, the inability to have a discussion about sincerely held beliefs and debate them but not be disagreeable with each other."

But is there any real reason to believe anything will change?

After all, when normal politics resumes it will do so at one of the most contentious Washington moments in years. A new president, barely in office five months, could soon be under investigation by a special counsel Robert Mueller for obstruction of justice -- and is furious about it.

Should the investigation produce an impeachment drama, the nation will embark on the most traumatic national political process possible considering whether to remove an elected President before his time.

However that ends, it will leave scars for years to come.

Many people in the political world had quietly worried that violence was a lamentably possible extension of a presidential campaign in which Trump baited angry crowds and liberals ridiculed and insulted him.

In a sign of how the political dialogue has deteriorated, it's now normal for the President of the United States to spread obvious falsehoods, to brand the media the "enemy of the American people" and for his opponents to openly call him a liar.

Now, it seems, even something as quintessentially American as playing baseball might require members of Congress to take along a phalanx of armed guards.

Some members are now talking about arming themselves at public events.

GOP rep regrets heated rhetoric, will carry firearm

Far from easing, the bile had been rising in recent months, challenging the barriers of political taste and convention.

For instance, there was a controversy in which comedian Kathy Griffin posed with photos of a severed head mask in the likeness of President Trump.

Amid Griffin outrage, the left asks: What about Ted Nugent?

And even as he offered a videotaped message of unity at Thursday night's baseball game, Trump's campaign sent out a fundraising email targeting Democrats.

"After their BILLION-DOLLAR election loss, all Democrats have done is OBSTRUCT President Trump and maniacally scream the word 'RUSSIA' until they're blue in the face," the email read.

"They've sparked protests in the streets, refused to approve White House nominees, destroyed our health care system, and used the media to spew vicious rhetoric against the President."

Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi earlier pushed back hard at suggestions by some conservatives that left wing rhetoric was to blame for Wednesday's attack.

"I think that the comments made by my Republican colleagues are outrageous, beneath the dignity of the job that they hold, beneath the dignity of the respect that we would like Congress to command," she said. Later however, Pelosi appeared in more conciliatory mood in a joint interview with House Speaker Paul Ryan on CNN.

Even the business of regular politics is laced with contention.

Senators may soon vote on a Republican health care bill that would repeal Obamacare, that opponents decry as ripping away coverage from the old, the sick and the poor. Emotions will run riot on both sides of the aisle.

No one knows what the GOP health plan is, even Republicans

Before the fall, a new government funding crisis is expected which will fray tempers and will leave the good feelings of Thursday night a distant memory.

And even as most of Washington avoided new battles Thursday out of deference to Scalise and the others injured, Trump was settling old scores, in a furious reaction to the widening scope of the Russia investigation.

"Why is that Hillary Clinton's family and Dems dealings with Russia are not looked at, but my non-dealings are?" Trump wrote on Twitter.

All the President's tweets

But while it is undeniable that Trump has added a contentious new note to Washington politics -- the blame is not his alone.

In many ways he is the culmination of fury and resentment that's been boiling for years, fueled by contentious elections, partisan meltdowns in Washington and a balkanized media sector which often serves to solidify extremes of opinion.

In one sign of the acrimony, one of the most outspoken Republican flamethrowers, Steve King of Iowa, returned to a familiar target when assigning blame for the outrage at the baseball diamond in Alexandria.

"I do want to put some of this at the feet of Barack Obama," the Iowa congressman said in an interview with Simon Conway on WHO Iowa radio.

"He contributed mightily to dividing us. He focused on our differences rather than our things that unify us. And this is some of the fruits of that labor."

King was an exception. But the idea that a single violent incident, like Wednesday's, could change the political climate has been expressed after tragedies before -- and been shown to be empty hope.

Things didn't change after Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in 2011 at a political event in Tucson -- though many people expressed hopes that they would.

Back then, Obama delivered a heart searing eulogy to a little girl, Christina-Taylor Green, who was just discovering a fascination with politics, but was killed at the Giffords event, hoping she was dancing in "rain puddles in heaven."

"I want us to live up to her expectations," Obama said. "I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it."

Everyone knows how that turned out.

But despite that, there are still some optimists.

Mark Kelly, Giffords' husband, told CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday that acrid political rhetoric had consequences but change was not impossible.

"I think it can happen if people are really motivated to make it happen. it happened after what happened in Tucson for a little bit," Kelly said.

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After the game, can the good feelings last? was originally posted by A 18 MOA Top News from around

[roommateofmyimagination-blog]

Chapter 7: You’re going to kill me to I’m going on a date.

✗ Adrian  ✗

I was on my feet, then i was off of them. The view of trees in front of me slowly moved downwards as It panned upwards to seeing the dusky sky. Before i knew it I was on my back in the dirt. A hand pressed strongly onto my chest. It felt like gravity was weighing down on me and pushing me further into the ground. Coughing violently, i grabbed at the hand that was placed on my chest. Bringing my legs up a bit trying to kick at the ground.

“L-let me...go.” I choked out, opening my eyes barely to look at my opponent. Tsuyoi was kneeled above me, his hand pressed firmly into my chest. Holding me down still with only one of his hands.

“You need to bring out your magic first.” Tsuyoi demanded, not moving an inch from me. “Do that or black out.”

“I c-cant.” I started coughing harder, “b-breath.” I dont know how he was doing it, but the weight on my body was getting unbearably painful and i felt like i was going to pass out soon. I couldnt breath at all, nothing came into my lungs. “Let...go...damn it.”

“Show me your magic and i will, you’re the only one lacking here.” Tsuyoi growled. “If you cant use magic you cant fight with us! You’ll fucking die!”

“Tsuyoi let him go!” Pendragon shouted from somewhere. “We arent the ones to kill him!”

“Pen, you know he has to get stronger! Or we leave him behind! No need for weaklings.” He growled, turning to look at Pendragon.

Reaching up one of my hands i grabbed at his neck, “I said, let. Go.” Tsuyoi looked down at me when my hand wrapped around his neck. There was no strength behind my grip on him. But Tsuyoi tensed up a bit and looked concerned down at me. Black something was crawling up the length of his neck and up to his face. Tsuyoi didnt start freaking out a tad until the black stuff got up to his left eye.

“What are you doing?” He growled, pushing on my chest.

Coughing hard, “showing you my magic, Bitch.” the black, imma call it ink, got up to his left eye then spread quickly across his face, covering both of his eyes. Ink started to spread across his body faster now. It went up to his ears, down his neck and into his arms. It looked like the black ink entered his veins with how it looked on his arms, but his face looked like a black mask was around it.

Tsuyoi brought his arm off my chest. He fell down backwards onto his ass. “Get this shit off me!” he shouted, tugging at the mask on his face. It looked like he was able to pull it off but it was stuck to him like glue. “Get it off Drakul!! I cant see or hear!” he fell onto his back and started rolling side to side trying to get the black off him. “Pendragon get over here!”

Pendragon ran up to Tsuyoi and straddled his body between his legs. Pendragon was hunched over trying to pull the black wrap off of Tsuyoi’s face. “It wont come off man!” Pendragon sounded concerned, “and its spreading onto me!” he was panicking now. Pendragon had powers similar to a dragon. He brought out his scales to try and prevent the spreading, it seemed to work a bit.

Getting off my back, i sat on my knees in the dirt, holding my chest and coughing hard. Looking over at Pendragon and Tsuyoi, I chuckled lightly through my coughing. Picking my hand up that held Tsuyoi’s neck and moving my hand in a way that looked like i was snatching at the air between us. The black ink seeped off of Pendragon and Tsuyoi and wrapped around my arm, blending back into my leather suit. Coughing lighter this time, “So?”

“Fuck you.” Tsuyoi growled at me, “so you have dark shit that comes off of you, so what?”

“I think it was kinda scary…” pendragon moved from Tsuyoi and sat on the ground beside him.

Takeshi walked over to us and squated down in front of me, “So what is that magic?”

“Dunno.” I sat back down on my ass, “i just felt it weld up in me, i was starting to see black from not being able to fucking breath.” I glared over at Tsuyoi, “whats worse?”

“Feels like gravity or weight distribution…” he held his neck lightly, “I feel like i have stupid amounts of strength in me, and yet i can some how change the weight of something about me or around me.”

“Ah cool, scary too.” Pendragon commented.

“Yours Pendragon?” Takeshi looked over at him. Her cheek in her hand, she looked so uninterested in this conversation.

“I know i can bring scales out, for sure and i cant breath fire. I think theres something else i can do, just cant figure it out.” He rubbed the back of his head, “you Takeshi?”

She looked at her feet. “I have really powerful legs so i can jump stupid high. My martial arts skills are better, and if i move fast enough i can make something like….wind blades.”

“Wind blades?” the three of us talked together.

“Like something really sharp but its made of air or the wind i make with all my floppy sleeves and wears moving.” she grunted, embarrassed at having to explain this to us.

“So if we have magic why do we have weapons?” I asked, fiddling with my hair. “Just seems unnecessary to us.”

“Its so if you cant use magic, you have something to defend yourselves.” Ryaikum was standing above us all. He dropped Tsuyoi’s, Takeshi’s and my weapons in front of us. Tossing Pendragon his. “Me and Pendragon are leaving.” he grabbed Pendragon’s hand and walked a bit of a distance away from us before disappearing.

Lappin fetched takeshi soon after and left me and Tsuyoi.

“We know each other?” Tsuyoi spoke up, leaned back on his hands and staring at me.

“Dunno.”  I glared back at him, “you in college?”

“Yeah.” he replied, “you go to the school near here?” “Yeah.” I answered. “Live in the dorms?”

“No off campus in a house with my significant other.” he dropped his head back a bit, “you?”

“On campus with a roommate. Your house mate, she cute?” I asked dropping my head onto my knees.

“He, and yes.” He answered flatly.

“He?” I picked my head up, “you gay?”

“Dunno if Gay or bisexual. My boyfriend now is the only one i’ve ever dated before.” Tsuyoi looked a little embarrassed, “he’s...special to me.”

“Aah, i can tell.” I chuckled a bit, putting my head back on my knees.

“You?” Tsuyoi looked over at me from the corner of his eyes.

“Gay as fuck.” I answered him.

“Ah.” is all he said as he stared at me. Eventually he grunted and stood up. “Sorry for before.”

“Eh?” I looked up at him.

“For being too rough with you.” he held his hand out to me, taking it he helped me onto my feet. “I dont want you to be a weak link,you have potential. All of us do, we have to work as a team some day i guess, you need to be ready to fight eventually.”

“I know, its just…” I looked down, “everything is still new and confusing.”

“I know how you feel.” He patted my back hard, “Kenny isnt as open to me either, but we try.”

“What about me?” Kenaz purred from behind me. Freaking out i spun around to see Kenaz with a smug cat smile on his face. “You all did well today, we’re all still….accommodating to everything. All of us, you kids and us Magicae Socius are still getting use to one another.” Kenaz always seemed a bit more gentle than the other three, he spoke gentler. “Its only been a few days, but the weekend is soon, so we all agreed to let you kids rest a bit unless something happens.” kenaz walked past me to Tsuyoi, and grabbed his hand. “We must go though.” He smiled, “bye bye Drakul.” he smiled and waved at me. Taking Tsuyoi the walked into the woods.

“Let us go home.” Demyan spoke from behind me, he had his hands on my shoulders.

“Can you take us home?” I looked back at him over my shoulder, “im too tired.”

“Of course my pup.” he spoke softly. Blackness wrapped around his both. When light shone through it once again, we were in an alleyway between buildings. “I do not wanna port us somewhere someone can see. So just outside the stairs is all i can do.”

I looked at my hands, my costume was off and i had my regular clothes back on. “Its alright, thanks Dem.” I patted his hand on my shoulder, “turn back into a bat, ill take us inside.” demyan’s hands came off my shoulder, the sound of a puff of smoke was behind me then his little wings flapping behind my head. Turning to face him a bit, i held out my hands for him to sit in.opening my top shirt a bit i held him under it until he grabbed onto my shirt i wore under it. Walking up the stairs, i pulled out my keys and put it in the door to my apartment. Before turning the key, i turned the knob. It was already unlocked. Pulling my key out i walked in and saw Val in the kitchen.

“Welcome back.” He looked surprised to see me. Aero was sitting on the dinning table staring at me too.

Opening my shirt, i let demyan fly off and he went to his spot on the window ledge. “Thanks.” I dropped my bags by the door and walked to the kitchen. I held my hand out to Aero, she sniffed me then licked my finger a bit then hopped off the table. “You cooking?” I asked.

“Yeah, just mac and cheese though.” he replied back, filling a measuring cup with water.

“Just?” I asked leaning on the counter beside him, watching the cup fill.

“Yeah.” he looked confused about my question. “Why?”

“Like fish sticks?” I asked looking at his legs. They were so slender and smooth looking, almost girly ish.  Aero’s little feet pattered into the kitchen, she meowed happily at my feet and walked between my legs. “Seems like princess likes the idea of fish sticks.” I bent down to scratch her head. “Come to the store with me, we’ll get fish sticks, hamburger or chicken what ever you like to go with the mac n cheese.” I stood up and left aero going to grab my keys. Val was staring at me like i’ve gone mental. Staring back at him, “come the fuck on.” I opened the door and motioned my hand for him to go outside. “You haven’t started cooking yet.”

Val put the measuring cup down and went to grab his shoes and put them on. He came up to me and grabbed his wallet. Snatching his wallet i put it back where it was placed, “excuse me?” he looked at me and grabbed his wallet again.

“No.” I grabbed his wallet again and threw it onto the sofa. “Go.” I pointed out the door again. Val looked at me and slowly reached for his keys. Grabbing those i threw them on to the sofa too. “Oh look at that. Leggo.” I pushed val on his back and walked out the door, closing it behind me and locking the door.

Val was laughing the whole time, “why wouldnt you let me grab my keys and wallet?” he asked looking up at me.

“Because im driving, duh.” I jingled my keys, “and it was my idea, so im paying.” I held out my wallet too then slipped it back in my front pocket. I flipped my keys around to click the lock button to find my jeep. “That way.” I pointed and dragged val with me. We found my jeep and go in.Valentine, did not like my driving. I on the other hand found it hilarious. Val thought i drove a bit too fast and recklessly, when i think i drive just a tad too fast and pretty fine, i just have road rage.

When we got out of the car to go to walmart Val waited for me to make my way around the car, “Im driving next time.”

“Nah i drive fine.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “Cmon, it was kinda fun right?”

He looked at me with a slight Smile on his face, “a bit, but still reckless.” he chuckled.

“Alright, i’ll let you drive.” I sighed and we walked from the car to the scary vacant walmart. Yeah it was late, but empty walmarts always kinda disturbed me, because im so use to them being packed with so many fucking people. Val walked in front of me and grabbed a hand basket from the floor. We walked silently to the frozen section.

“Which do you want?” He stood in front of the frozen chicken breast section.

Looking down at him then the freezer, “pick which brand or whatever you like most squirt.” I stood behind him with my hands in my pockets.

“Alright.” He sighed lightly, looking through and grabbing a bag and putting it in the basket. “That it?”

“No.” I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the meat section. Looking at the different rows of hamburger available. Picking up a few to look at the freshness of it, i grabbed two and tossed them in the basket. “Never hurts to have both.”

Val looked at the basket then me, “that it?” he smiled.

“....No…?” I looked at him with a mild confused look, “Do we want...need any fruit or veggies. Dems could probably take a few more fruits, and i like fruit, so he has to share.” I walked over to the fruit section just a bit off from the meat. I was looking at a few apples and tossing good ones into the baggy.

Val placed the basket down and was examining oranges. “Do you know if Demmy has a preference?” he asked, putting a few oranges into a plastic baggy.

“I think he will eat anything.” I walked around Val and grabbed some good bananas, “if he doesn't eat it, I will.” I put the bags in the basket. “Heavy?” I pointed down at the basket.

“No?” Val eyed me, then lifted the basket, having it rested on his hip. “See easy.” He smiled proudly.

Eyeing him and chuckling, “aight strong man, leggo.” I walk ahead of him towards the registers. “Self check out or?” I look back at val whos slightly behind me. Waiting for him to walk up beside me i turned to walk with him.

“Self is fine.” Val held the basket out in front of him. He turned to walk to the self check out and set the basket down, scanning all the things and bagging them.

I stood behind Val who was still bagging everything, Pulling out my debit card i leaned over him and swiped my card, punched in the key, no cash back, yes this amount is right, yes yes thank you. Val stood stiff in front of me.

Leaning off of him i grabbed a few of the bags, “Cmon stale cupcake, lets go home.”

“Uh yeah okay.” He grabbed the remaining bags and jogged up behind me.

When we got to the car we put everything in the back seat. And i intentionally drove safely for the cupcake to not be clenched onto the oh-shit handle. We got back to the apartments and went up the stairs to the room. Val took some of the bags from me so i could get the door unlocked and opened. I held the door open for Val to walk in and set the bags down in the kitchen.His kitty princess soon hit the floor and made her way to Val and wrapped around his feet.

“Hello Aero.” he bent down and picked her up, loving on her.

“Hamburger or chicken?” i asked, surfing through the bags, “hamburger would be easiest, its not frozen.” I held up the pound of meat.

“Thats fine, what do you plan to make?” Val asked, setting aero down and then going to wash his hands.

“I can brown it and dump it into the mac n cheese, or make hamburger steak. Your opinion?” I asked pulling the wrapping off.

“Your pick, im happy either way.” Val smiled sweetly, wiping his hands dry on a towel.

“Hamburger steak it is.” I put the hamburger on the counter, walking over to the sink to wash my hands. Shaking them violently I went back to the little meat packages. “You...wouldnt mind if i gave demyan the little bit of...blood right?”

“Uh no not at all.” Val responded, “I bet he’d appreciate that sometimes over fruit.”

“Thanks.” I poured the little bit of blood left in the tray and put it in a little bowl like plate. “Demyan, come here, good boy treat.” I shouted enough for Demyan to hear me. A few squeaks came from my room then Demyan came flying out and landed on the counter. He sat there and stared at me, sniffing in my direction. “Here you go.” I set the little plate down and watched him climb onto top, sniff, then lap the little bit in the bowl.

“Oh i didnt know he would drink it that way.” Val spoke up and watched demyan.

“They dont actually suck blood. They bite and let it bleed then kinda lick it up.” I looked over to val while putting my hair up in a high ponytail. “And no, ive never let him bite me.”

“I wasnt going to ask that.” Val stiffened up and looked at me with a look of, oh shit you caught me.

Grabbing the raw meat and tearing it apart in chunks. “Id only let him bite me if he really needed too, and hed repay the favor.” I tapped his little head, “its how bats work.” I leaned back and saw the princess sitting on the floor, “Does she hunt?”

“No of course not, shes an outside cat but she knows ill feed her.”  Val looked down at her, “I bet she could hunt if she wanted too though.”

“Ah.” I was forming balls in my hand. Once all the balls were formed i squished them with my hands. “You allergic to anything?” I asked half way through squishing.

“Nope.” Val grabbed some seasonings for me and set them down by me.When he was looking down i brought my slightly bloody hands up to his face on either side of his face. He looked up and leaned back away from me for a bit. “Uuuuuh?”

“Sorry i wanted to see if you were squirmish.”I dropped my hands back down and grabbed a paper towel, cleaning my hands and then grabbing seasonings and seasoning accordingly.

“I didnt know you could cook.” Val said softly, “its fun cooking with you.”

I stopped shaking the little bottles and looked over at him slowly. Val had a happy smile on his face and his cheeks were lightly pink.

“I...Uh, i dont know how to cook a lot of stuff, but i know what i know how to cook i cook it well, better then my mom sometimes.” I looked away from him and back to the meat. Demyan was sitting in front of me making little squeaky toy noises.

“Thats okay, i can show you what i know!” He beamed brightly, and stood on his toes.

“Yeah.” I smiled at him and then pulled out a pan to cook in. “Dunno how you eat meat, well done okay?” I asked throwing patties down.

“Yeah.” He smiled and went to work on the mac n cheese.

Val stood beside me while i browned all the meat and set them on paper plates. We talked about how classes were going. As we waited, i let Val look through my photos in my camera. He told me what looked good and what was kinda poorly shot or in a bad quality. We agreed to go on a photo trip some time soon. When everything was almost done, Val was going and grabbing plates, forks and knives.

“Water fine?” he asked after he set everything down.

“Yeah.” I grabbed the paper plate of patties and brought them over to our little table and val had the bowl of mac n cheese in his hands.

Val took a small bite of the hamburger and when he swallowed he smiled at me. “Its good!”

“Thanks.” I smiled lightly at him, I cut a bit off and put it in my mouth, to realize it was too big of a bite. I stared at val who was staring at me trying not too laugh. Holding my finger up i covered my mouth so he didnt see me chew so i could bite into it and make it swallow-able. Putting my hand down, “I made a very poorly calculated measurement.”

“Pfft.” Came from val as he pursed his lips.

“You can laugh, its okay. I fucking do it all the time at home.” I put my cheek in my hand with my elbow on the table.

“Pff, No, its okay, i wont laugh.” He giggled lightly. After a few bites he put his silverware down. “Thanks, for cooking and eating with me.” His head was down, but i could see a small smile on his lips and he looked up at me.

“Ah.” Is all i got out because i felt embarrassed? Pleased?...A heart attack? I looked down at my lap then back up at val, my face felt a little hot. “No fuckin problem.” I mumbled.

“Something wrong?” Val looked concerned or confused.

“Not a damn thing, just no one has thanked my for eating with them.” I moved my hair from my shoulder. “I never ate much with my family, so its weird to hear that.”

“You didnt eat with your family?” Val asked, tilting his head.

“I did….when i was home...not stoned, drunk, or dead to the world asleep.” I scratched my head. “It was all five of us, then progressively went to three of us then i would not be home or not eat.”

“Oh okay.” val looked at his plate, “I hope you eat with me more often.” he smiled sweetly.

“Aaaaaaaah, fuck yeah ill try.” I looked at my lap. Why does him smiling at me make me feel so fucking nervous? I looked over at demyan who looked like he was snickering at me. Picking my head up. “Ill try to tell you if i cant eat with you...if i have to go see my family or im performing.”

“Thats alright, i’d just appreciate you telling me.” he said sweetly and got up to rinse his plate.

I gobbled down the rest of my food then got up after him and helped clean up everything. We sat in the living room for awhile together and just chatted about things. Some school, but mostly about our families or what we did in high school.

“Tomorrows Saturday, got any plans?” I asked, rubbing my hair.

“Ah, not really, might have something to do that night.” he looked up like he was thinking, “why?”

“I promised you the other day with your friends, we’d hang out.” I mumbled, playing with my hair. “So i wanted to know if you’d hang out with me. I dont have plans really, so i thought id ask or id just fucking lounge here at the apartment.”

“Ah sure, we can do that!” Val smiled happily and leaned in closer to me.

“Too close cupcake.” I leaned back a little from him.

“My name is Valentine.” He pouted a little, “you can call me Val.”

“Yeah, no im calling you cupcake. You look like an upside down or reversed red velvet cupcake.” I commented looking at his hair compared to his pale skin.

“Red velvet is more of a darker red then my hair.” He replied back, crossing his arms and leaning into the sofa.

“I could think up a lot of names if you dont wanna be cupcake any more.” I tapped my chin, “could call you peppermint.” I smirked lightly, “but i like cupcake more.”

Val looked at me and held his mouth open, “Ill think of a nickname for you.” he puffed his cheeks a bit. “I just cant think of one right now.”

“Oh, I wanna hear that.” I leaned onto my knees and put my face in my hand. “I wanna know what you’d call me.”

Val blushed a bit and puffed his cheeks more, “Ill tell you when i can think of one.”

“Mmmmhmmm.” I smirked a bit, Putting my hands on my knees. “Im going to take a shower then chill in my room, I have some work i need to do.”

“Oh, okay.” Val looked up at me.

I got up and went to the bathroom to get a shower. I took my shirt off and looked at my chest. “Damn it.” i mumbled seeing a big hand print bruise on my chest. I turned and looked at my back in the mirror. Some minor bruising on my back. “Mother fucker.”I groaned and took the rest of my clothes on and hopped in the shower. Actually showering didnt take very long, what took long was the hot water felt good on my sore muscles. Turning the water off, i got out and wrapped myself in a towel and dropped one on my head. Going to my room i pulled out a pair of pj pants, drying off and putting underwear back i put the pants back on. I still saw the chain on my waist, and pulled my pants up to cover it, now i looked like a dork. “Fuck it.” I pulled my pants back down and tossed on a shirt. Tying my hair up in a bun on my head, i walked out.

Val looked like he was hunched over a sketchbook and working on something.

“Whatcha doin?” I leaned over and looked at his sketchbook.

“I have to design a logo for my fashion class.” He looked up at me.

“Hm, hows that going?” I asked, looking at the thumbnails.

“Its going, havent made the one i like just yet.” he looked back down at his sketchbook.

“You’ll get there, i have faith in you.” I rubbed his head and turned to go back to the bedroom, “Ganbatte.” I put my hand up and walked out.

“DID YOU JUST SAY GOOD LUCK IN JAPANESE?” Val shouted from behind me.

“I did! So fuckin what!?” I yelled back.

“Do you know Japanese!?” he shouted in response.

“No! I know anime!” I answered him back. I could hear Val laughing from his spot. I pulled out my laptop and set it on my bed, I went and grabbed my camera bag as well and tossed it onto my bed. I walked out of the bedroom and went to see val, “you good?”

He held up his hand with his thumb up, “Im good!”

“Alright, ill see you in the morning then.” I turned back to go to the room.

“Alright, night if you fall asleep.” He replied back.

“Night.” I went and got on the bed, opening my laptop and working on uploading my photos.When they were all uploaded i put my camera away. Sitting on the bed cross legged and my laptop in my lap, i laid back against the wall and shuffled through my photos. Moving the ones i didnt like or where not good photos into its own folder where i keep all the photos i dont like or use. Looking at the ones i liked, i shifted through to crop and edit now. Demyan crawled up onto my shoulder and sat with me and watched.

“Just because you have the weekend off, make sure you do not slack too much.” Demyan spoke for the first time in a few hours.

“I know.” I whispered back, “but ive been a jackass to him, wanna make it up.” i stared at my screen and clicked away at editing.

“You are a villain.” he chuckled lightly.

“Can it, or im not doing what you ask.” I hissed at him.

“Then you will not get stronger.” He sounded like he was smiling. “Why do you think Kenaz and Tsuyoi are stronger than you?”

“Mother fucker cheats, look at my chest.” I pulled my shirt up for demyan to look at, “its not fair hes stupid strong.”

“Hmm, does look like it hurt.” he commented, “but just his magic alone is not what makes him stronger than everyone. He’s close to Kenaz.”

“Like how close?” i asked, looking down at him.

“Close enough to kick your ass.” Demyan chuckled and scuttled down onto my laptop. “You have a powerful ability, you just have to trust me...and i can tell you do not.”

“You dont tell me everything.” I looked down at him as he watched my screen.

“Hm.” he hummed softly, “Maybe you and i will...Hang out one day?”

“How? You’re not natural looking.” I tapped his little head and ran my finger down his back.

“I have my ways pup, i can look human.” He turned to face me, “i just might need to wear your clothes.”

“Aaah, little dude, you’re like way fucking taller than me. Might not fit.” I left demyan alone and went back to work.

“We will make it work.” He crawled back up onto my shoulder.

“Yeah yeah.” I commented back to him and went back to mostly working on my photos. Demyan went off to do his own thing. I finished everything fairly quickly and when i finished all of it I put my laptop back on the floor and laid on my back to sleep.

---

“Adri, its time to wake up!” I heard Val shout from somewhere in a different room.

I groaned and sat up, feeling something small roll off my chest and into my lap. It was a groggy and pissy Demyan who started squeaking at me from my lap. “Heh, I wish you made squeaky toy noises when you hit something.” i scratched his little head and he started hissing at me. Picking him up with one hand, i swung my legs off my bed and stood up, putting demyan on the bed while i put on a tank top and some sweat pants. Grabbing Demyan again, i put him on my shoulder to let him rest and he crawled over to the swoop of my neck and sat there to continue sleeping.

“Good morning!” Val turned to look at me from the kitchen.

“Mornin cupcake.” I yawned and walked over to the kitchen. “Need help?”

“No im almost done.” He smiled “but can you get Aero some milk to drink, she just ate.”

I looked down at the little white fluff ball that sat at Val’s feet and she meowed at me. “Yeah, cmere kitty.” I clicked my tongue and patted my thigh to get her attention. Getting a small bowl out and the milk from the fridge i poured a small amount in for her and set it on the floor for her to eat. She sniffed at it then looked at me then back to the bowl and started drinking it. I leaned over just a bit to drag my fingers down her back to pet her. “You hungry?” I tapped on Demyan who just squeaked and closed his eyes again “Take that as a no.”

“Breakfast is ready!” Val was already putting food on the plates and picked up one and went to the table and set it down, getting back up to fix a drink.

Following after him i grabbed a plate and made a glass of water. “So,” I set my plate down and pulled the chair out with my foot and sat down, “what do you wanna do today?”

“Hmm, I wanted to go look at some clothes today.” val held the end of his fork to his mouth, “is that okay with you?”

“Yeah.” I took a bite of my toast, “I use to go shopping with my sis all the time.”

“Yaay!” He cheered then stopped and blushed abit. “And of course we can go to or do something you wanna do.”

Chuckling lightly, “Cupcake, you dont wanna do the things i do.”

“Oh? Why not?” He looked slightly offended and interested.

“I go do drugs, parties and run from the cops a few time.” I leaned forward putting my elbows on the table. “Does that sound fun to you?”

He sat there and pondered a bit. “No, not really….not at all.”

“Thats what i thought.” I laughed lightly, then took a sip of my water, “but next time i go on a photo trip, ill take you with me to help and hang out.”

“Now that sounds fun!” He smiled brightly again.

We sat and talked for awhile after we finished breakfast. Spent some additional time petting and brushing Aero before we both went to clean up and take showers. Demyan was still sleeping so when i went to take my shower, i put him in his favorite spot in my drawer and opened the window in case he wanted to go out. When both Val and i were ready to head out, we headed to his car because he still didn’t want me driving us around because im a bit of a speed demon.