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onelovewonderwoman · 4 years ago

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first class || charles xavier x reader

i’ve been on an x-men binge and fell into a hole of james mcavoy and charles xavier again, so here we are. i haven’t written fics in a long time, so i tried to again. i’m uncreative so like the title is just the first movie because of the fact that it’s set during that time. kind of like self insert cause there’s a few bits and pieces where there’s canonical plot and interactions, so disclaimer for that. anyways, hope you guys enjoy! ps also don’t have enough energy to find a fitting gif so maybe i’ll find one later maybe i won’t. we’ll see

words: 5.8k

warnings: not proofread (i spent three days on this so i don’t have the energy anymore haha), writing lacks emotional depth, drug use and mentions, intent of murder, thoughts of (murder, rape, suicide, etc.), poorly written two paragraphs about kissing, angst, we ignore moira and charles’ romance cause... duh, it’s x reader and it’s too difficult for me to work around it rn a haha

masterlist

The rooms were always the same. They were dark, illuminated only by the dimmest of lights emanating from the occasional lava lamp or fairy lights. Fairy - ironic word for such situations, such rooms. Filled so heavily with smoke it made it hard to breathe, let alone see. And the floors; the floors always felt different.

In hindsight, it was probably the one thing that had her realizing the rooms were never actually the same. Sure, they had the same smell, the same overcrowdedness and moving bodies, the same darkness, even the same taste, but the floors testified to the difference each room held.

Sometimes, when the world would freeze and all the people around her became nothing but a mesh of warm bodies, she could hear the floor creak under her feet with every step she took. There she was - the house right down the street from her.

Other times, the floors felt sticky under her shoes. She assumed it was tequila. There were always too many bottles around to count, surely there would be spills. Or, some poor guy could have pissed himself like that one time. When her shoes sounded like velcro as she walked across the floor, she was at the house all the way across town.

In any case, she felt the same ankle up. One of her favourite parts had to be the way the music always abused her ears - so high, it made her feel lightheaded. More so than she already had been both. Sex was not nearly regular enough for her to compare, but she knew what she would feel every time the music was loud enough to make her head buzz and throb with a vengeance was more erotic than anything anyone could ever do to her.

The place could change but the scene never really did. Down to the people - she knew this for sure. She knew every beating heart around her like they were her own. She never only felt it there, but in her head as well. Even as it buzzed, she felt it. Sometimes it tore at her skull as if trying to escape - ironic.

Now, why did the scene change one evening in 1962? She told herself it was fate, but it had merely been wishful thinking when she knew why. How did she know? She knew the man sitting next to her on the worn down couch, nearly entirely unconscious and reeking of weed and vodka, knew the girl across the house, the girl across the house knew the man next to her and that - so on and so forth - meant she knew all three of them, even though they didn’t know her. So, for two new men to walk into the house, their eyes focused - focused on her - changed the scene entirely.

Now, the music became nothing more than an assault on her ears; the lights became too bright at the same time as the dark became too dark; the air became heavier than usual; and she sobered up at the feeling of something - someone - in her head. Then, it all caved in. It was as overwhelming as it always was, but she was used to it enough to handle it for a little while, at least whilst remnants of her high remained. She couldn’t say the same for the shorter of the two men she saw keel over at the pressure.

He got over it pretty quick, from what she could tell. “Charles Xavier,” he introduced himself as, “This is my colleague, Erik Lensherr.”

A quick trip from the couch to the door had her standing on the lawn of the house of the night with the two men. Crickets could be heard fighting against the sound of the music blaring from the house as she swayed on her feet, making wet sounds in the grass from earlier rain. Charles stood not much taller than her, charm emanating from him and the way his piercing blue eyes seemed to smile despite his furrowed brows and mouth set in a straight line as he stared at her, waiting for a response with his hands tucked into his coat pockets. Erik stood taller, stoic and calculating.

“And?” She crossed her arms across her chest, both in discomfort and the fact that the chilly night air had begun to bite at her skin, her long sleeve doing nothing to help. “I should care why?”

If the incident earlier wasn’t enough, the way the both of them looked at her was enough for her to know why. “What’s your name?” Charles asked, having her notice then the English accent on his tongue.

The second she gave it to him, he smiled - almost sympathetically - at her and hummed, “You have an incredibly busy mind, Y/N.”

“And you have an incredibly nosy one, Charles.” That had Erik letting out a chuckle, one that felt like approval to her ears.

Never in a million years would she dare say yes to anything of the sort the two men proposed to her that night. A team of mutants; not necessarily that she thought it was absurd or a horrible idea - no. It made sense, not factoring in their current climate, to have a team of mutants fighting against the evils of the world. The horrible idea was to have her join. No, she wanted to tell them, “I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”

“That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking too,” Erik agreed with her, catching both herself and Charles off guard, “We’ll be going then.”

He offered her his hand. She didn’t know how long she stood there staring at his outstretched arm. Sometimes her high slowed time - it could have been five seconds or five minutes. When she finally looked away from his hand, up at him, she saw he stood unwavered and patient.

“You don’t have to, you know.” Her eyes shot to Charles as he broke the silence. He shook his head, brows still furrowed and mouth set in a straight line. “You’re under no obligation.”

For Charles to know, she understood. He had just been in her mind long enough to know that most of it wasn’t even hers. For Erik to know and offer her his hand made her wonder just how desperate he was to assemble the team - for whatever reason that she was about to find out in a moment.

“We leave now.” Was all he said after he tore his hand from hers.

An hour hasn’t even passed when she found herself on a plane with the two men, mind still buzzing but this time not with a high. This time, with an overwhelming anger and anticipation. The way Erik didn’t make eye contact with her and Charles sent worried glances her way throughout their trip to their “base” was enough to tell her that they knew she had already been briefed on what was happening - the reason behind their assembling of a team. Rather, she knew specifically of the personal motive behind it.

All it made her heart feel like it was beating a mile a minute. It pounded against her chest so hard she was sure at least one of them could hear it. So badly did she want to hide out in the plane’s bathroom and take something to stop the pain, but it was off the table. For now.

Soon enough the flight ended, and she came to find out their “base” was a covert CIA facility where they placed the other mutants they rounded up before her. She just as quickly met and said goodbye to Moira MacTaggert, a CIA officer working with Charles and Erik to stop Shaw. His name alone sent sparks of rage flowing through her veins.

She was left with the group when the three went off that night. There, she came face to face with Raven, Sean, Alex, Hank, Darwin, and Angel - or, Mystique, Banshee, and Havok. Darwin and Angel were “self explanatory”, considering they were already nicknames and described their powers fairly well. Hank was just… Hank.

Her turn came around quickly, once everyone settled down from Alex’s show of his “gift”, when all heads turned to her, sitting at the end of the couch. Raven smiled at her - she liked her, she was sweet - “What about you? What’s your power?”

“I’m,” She paused for a moment, the eyes on her making her anxious and curl into herself hoping, praying, another mutant wouldn’t touch her. “I can move things. With my mind.” She gave a tight smile to Raven and nodded her head, as if to reassure herself. “I can move things with my mind.”

Raven’s smile only widened, excited by either the prospect of her being able to move things with her mind or the opportunity to give her an alias. She assumed it was the latter. She excused herself to the washroom just as Raven asked the group what they thought. “We’ll have one for you once you get back! Promise!” Raven called after her.

Body filled with anticipation, she nearly ran to the washroom, willing the door closed behind her after she entered. It was small, but clean - CIA property after all.

She tried. She really did. Albeit, making contact with a mutant was always the worst; Erik especially. The trauma, the pain, the thoughts. All them clawed at her brain, as though they were tearing through it layer by layer until nothing but them remained within her skull.

Nothing could stop her from taking out the small baggy in her back pocket and tearing it open. Nothing could stop her from taking it, only to feel a rush flow through her. It would take a bit, but soon enough she would stop feeling them gnawing on her very existence. Soon, numbness would wash over her and she could just be no one.

She guessed she was in the washroom for about half an hour. Staring at her reflection, at the floor, at the ceiling, at anything, but when she made her way back to the room, she found it in disarray. Music was blasting from the radio, chairs flipped over, Raven on top of the couch dancing as Hank hung from the ceiling light, the rest of the group messing around with their powers. She couldn’t tell if they were experiencing some high of their own or just happened to have gotten their hands on some alcohol.

“What are you doing? Who destroyed the statue?” Moira’s voice broke her out of the trance she was in watching the group. Slowly, she turned her head to see her, Charles, and Erik walking over as everyone else froze. Moira was angry, that much anyone could tell, but the two men were unreadable.

Hank was the first one to reply back, jumping down the ceiling, panicked, “It was Alex.”

“No. Havok.” Raven seemed to stay unfazed, still standing on the couch with a wide smile on her face. “We have to call him Havok. That's his name now…”

Raven’s words melted away from her. Her focus wasn’t elsewhere; it was simply nowhere at all. She stared at everyone in the room, yet no one at all. So caught up in nothing she didn’t notice Charles himself staring at her until Erik uttered something under his breath and walked away with Moira following, brows furrowed in what looked to be confusion. Just as she caught his eye, he looked away.

Directed at Raven, he spoke firmly, “I expect more from you.”

Not long after, they had gotten word that Shaw would be in Russia, and so she was left with the group of mutants when the three left alongside the CIA to get their hands on him. Before, it would have made her wonder what purpose the group of mutants really served if they didn’t want them there to help. Now, after the incident, she understood why.

By no means were any of them prepared for such a task. She couldn’t claim to be either. She only agreed because she knew a part within her would hate her for not coming and at the very least trying to help.

Just when she thought she and the solemn group couldn’t be any more of a liability, she was proven wrong. Because now Sebastian Shaw stood in front of them, smug and irritating as ever, after having his lackey drop an unsuspecting CIA to his death in front of all of them and cornering them.

“Good evening. My name's Sebastian Shaw, and I'm not here to hurt you.” She was sure she wasn’t the only one assuming he had taken out every single CIA operative in the facility to make it this far; a thought that filled her being with even more dread than she was already feeling at the sight of him. “My friends, there's a revolution coming. When mankind discovers who we are, what we can do, each of us will face a choice. Be enslaved or rise up to rule. Choose freely, but know that if you are not with us, then by definition, you are against us. So, you can stay and fight for the people who hate and fear you. Or you can join me, and love like kings and queens.”

They all watched, both shocked and betrayed when Angel took the hand Shaw outstretched, standing by his side even when he murdered Darwin in his attempt to stop him with Alex. She didn’t see it - she turned away the second Shaw released the energy he’d taken from Alex into Darwin. She heard it, though. The explosion. When she turned back, as Shaw, Angel, and the men he had brought with him retreated, she saw nothing. There was no sign of Darwin; not even a speck of dust.

Suddenly, her chest tightened and the clawing came back.

----------------------------------

The person who happened to almost send them home also happened to be the one who provided them a new place to train their powers for the fight with Shaw. Charles was entirely serious and extremely close to sending them all home; “They’re just kids.” But Erik made it clear to him that they couldn’t be anymore, not after Shaw.

Charles lived, alongside Raven, in a massive mansion that had been entirely too big for her to take in, but it provided the perfect space for them to train their powers. Each of them were assigned rooms by Charles personally that day.

He took the liberty of walking them each there. She didn’t know if it was just her or a Charles thing, but he stayed quiet. Unusual for a man that had so much to say. But then again, with what they’ve already been through, she couldn’t imagine he was feeling very chatty. She certainly wouldn’t have been in his situation. Granted, she would be feeling the same way now, but in her predicament by this point, she wouldn’t mind someone else’s verbal company.

The second he guided her through the bedroom

door, she began to take in the sheer size of the room, feeling bigger than life itself in the way that she was feeling. The bed was even better; huge and looked as though the softness of it would swallow her into a warm hug. Her first instinct would have been to jump right onto it, but the fact that Charles ceased to leave and instead remained planted there, giving her a look she couldn’t make out once she turned to face him, made her fight against her urges.

She opened her mouth in an attempt to utter an “Are you alright?” but never got the chance. Instead, Charles spoke as soon as her mouth opened, slowly, as if to make sure she understood every word he was saying like she had been incapable of doing so before, “Training starts tonight, but I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.”

With her brows furrowed in confusion, she nodded, and Charles began to walk away. He stopped by the frame of the door, back to her, and spoke again, “Try and get some rest.”

With that, he shut the door behind him. Now, she was left in the room alone, tiredness washing over her. Awaiting the next day, she decided to fall into the cloud that was the bed and fall asleep while she could.

----------------------------------

The next morning was when Charles asked to see her - by Raven. The young woman led her over to a room, an odd dome shaped one, where Charles stood waiting. He wasn’t the same as the night before - uncomfortable, was the only way she knew to describe it - welcoming and encouraging.

“We’ve got plenty of work to do,” Charles spoke, hands in his pockets, as she entered and Raven excused herself elsewhere. Looking around, she could see evidence that training had started last night, namely Alex’s. Dark scuff marks were streaked across walls of the dome on the end farthest from them and small balls of fluff on the floor remained, assumingly left behind in the midst of a quick clean up of training dummies that had been torn open.

Despite the mess, several other objects were placed across the floor. All ranged from light to heavy. Chairs, weights - it looked to be anything he could have been capable of carrying in with the help of the others.

She stopped in front of him. “What’s this?”

The man’s smile widened before he started, rather loudly at that. “Well.” He moved towards the objects then spun around to face her, arms outstretched. “This is the beginning of your training.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking at the man unimpressed. “You want me to move this stuff around?”

“You’re not just moving stuff around.” Charles shook his head, arms dropping to his sides as he declared. “You don’t need to move everything here. I only need to see how much you can handle.” His head tilted as he looked at her, blue eyes meeting her own as his expression retreated to one of curiosity. “And how you handle it.”

She didn’t think the professor was aware of the innuendo within the situation, so she let it go despite the sweet stomach dropping feeling that came over her. Instead, she shrugged. “Then what?”

“Then,” Charles hesitated for a moment, “Erik was able to move a satellite dish. If it happens to be possible-”

“A satellite dish?” She laughed incredulously, “You can be serious.”

Charles nodded towards her, challenging her statements as he took a few steps forward. “And what is it that’s making you believe you’re incapable of doing anything similar?”

“Look.” She shook her head, looking directly at him when she said, “I can move the average household item, shut a door and maybe, just maybe, bust it down, but I couldn’t push your couch across the room, let alone move a fu- a satellite dish.”

Charles’ brows furrowed. “And that’s what you believe?”

She hummed. “That’s what I know.”

“Well,” he sighed, disappointment written across his face that sent her into a spiral, “There’s not much we can do if you don’t believe you can better yourself, is there?”

The second he walked past her was when it felt as though ice water had been spilt onto her. A mixture of confusion and gloom washed over her before she turned to see Charles’ back, still moving towards the door. “What?”

He stopped in his tracks at her exclamation, waiting several moments as if contemplating before he turned back to her. Carefully, he asked, “Why do you take them?”

She shook her head, looking almost offended. “How did you-”

“Your mind,” Charles confirmed, “It gets quieter.”

The offence on her face never ceased, but the uncomfortable mixture of feelings she was overwhelmed with had her shrug in response to his question. Charles only nodded and gave her a tight smile before turning back.

She closed her eyes, resigning herself with huff. She could go back to the life she had come to know and hate, or she could take the second chance he was giving her even if it did include the prospect of some suffering.

“I don’t take them for fun.” The sound of her voice made Charles stop again. This time, he waited. “When I touch a person I don’t just take every experience. I take every memory.”

He turned around to face her once more and gave her nod, signalling her to continue. She breathed in and out. “I see and I feel everything that’s happened to them. That’s a lot and it’s enough, but that’s not why I-”

She cut herself off, feeling herself choke on the words before shaking her head and persisting herself on despite Charles’ look of concern. “I take them because, when I take their memories, I take all of their thoughts too. Every one. So every thought of murder, or rape, or suicide, or any fucked up thing, keeps tearing me apart from the inside out.”

Charles nodded, walking closer to her, choosing his words carefully as he spoke, sympathy written deep in his soft voice, “And they scare you.”

She shook her head. Looking away from him for a moment, she willed away tears she felt gathering. She turned back to him. “The thought of acting on them scares me.”

Although slightly taken aback by the revelation, Charles holds his composure. He nodded before opening his mouth to respond, walking closer as he began.

The only reaction he got was her taking a step back, shaking her head. “I swear I’m not a bad person.” Charles assumed she didn’t want him touching her - considering she took away every thought. “I’m always all these people at once - I don’t even know who I am.”

“Then we will figure it out.” Charles tilted his head, making sure her eyes met his when she attempted to look away. His voice was soft and reassuring to her ears, even if she didn’t know whether to believe him or not. “You aren’t alone, Y/N.”

As it turns, the drugs were having a large effect on her ability to use her powers - the next few days told her as much. By no means was she capable of moving a satellite dish, but she had been able to take her powers to lengths she never thought she could have been able to.

Most of it was due to Charles - he’d spent most of the next few days with her, pushing her, sometimes to the point where she’d snap at him. She always calmed, though, and Charles always remained coolheaded.

Still, they grew closer. Or at least she grew closer to him. She couldn’t tell if the praise, the laughs, the banter, and the willingness to come back together after a fight only meant something to her. She hoped it did - because why else wouldn’t he just give up on her? All that time spent on advancing her powers to defeat Shaw, and he still talked about helping her as though their relationship would continue past this mission.

Part of her wanted to touch him so she could just know. Even if he hadn’t taken such a liking to her as she had him, at the very least try to understand him in his entirety and make a space for herself in his life. Then, another part of her was horrified at what she would find in there.

For the time being, there wasn’t much opportunity to dwell on it. The day they would head out was coming soon, and Erik suggested the group get a good night’s rest. They would all need it.

With her luck, she didn’t know why she thought that sleep would come easy that night. Whether it was due to adrenaline, anxiety, or anything else, didn’t matter. Because whatever was keeping her up had her pacing the hallways of Charles’ estate that night.

She wasn’t looking for it, but instead happened upon a conversation.

“… no difference. Shaw’s declared war on mankind. On all of us. He has to be stopped.” She heard Charles’ voice through a door as she passed by. Although knowing that he could probably make out the sound of her mind from a mile away, she still stopped by it. She grew even more curious when she heard Erik’s voice.

“I'm not gonna stop Shaw. I'm gonna kill him. Do you have it in you to allow that?” A moment of silence passed and she shifted on her feet. It made the floor creek. She shut her eyes and bit her lip, nervous, expecting to hear the sound of one of their footsteps coming to open the door and catch her eavesdropping. Whether they heard or not, she didn’t know as Erik continued on, “You've known all along why I was here, Charles. But things have changed. What started as a covert mission, tomorrow mankind will know that mutants exist. Shaw, us, they won't differentiate. They'll fear us. And that fear will turn to hatred.”

“Not if we stop a war,” Charles’ voice wavered on a line of urgency and assurance, “Not if we can prevent Shaw. Not if we risk our lives doing so.”

Charles very well could have been doing nothing but reassuring Erik with his words, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually trying to reassure himself. As if the world wouldn’t either discard or abuse them once they’ve served their purpose of their betterment.

“Will they do the same for us?”

“We have it in us to be the better men.”

“We already are.” Erik’s voice quickly turned from calm to urgent when he next spoke. “We're the next stage of human evolution. You said it yourself!”

“No, no!” She heard Charles attempt to cut Erik off before he sighed. She could practically hear the disappointment in it, although she couldn’t say she felt the same. He only let Erik continue.

“Are you really so naive as to think that they won't battle their own extinction?” She heard him pause. “Or is it arrogance?”

“I’m sorry?” As if Charles had misheard him.

She shifted on her feet once more as their voices became more hushed, despite the feeling coming from the room becoming more hostile than calm. This time, she was more careful. Nothing made a sound below her feet when she moved closer to the door, pressing her ear against it, as well as her left palm for support.

“After tomorrow, they're gonna turn us. But you're blind to it, because you believe they're all like Moira.”

“And you believe they're all like Shaw.” Came Charles’ immediate response. Calmly, she heard him continue, “Listen to me very carefully my friend. Killing Shaw will not bring you peace.”

Erik’s voice never wavered when he told Charles, “Peace was never an option.”

Footsteps came far too fast for her to move away from the door. In a split second, she found herself leaning against the door to crashing into Erik’s chest when he pulled the door open. For a moment, Erik stood staring down at her, watching her attempt to recompose herself and attempt to apologize. She didn’t get a word out before he moved past her and walked away.

She watched his form retreat before she turned back to the room. Standing in the doorway, she saw Charles sitting in the chair facing away from her. With his eyes closed and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed, “You realize I can hear your mind from across this house?”

She took a step in, almost reluctantly. She didn’t imagine Charles would be content with anything she had to say, but maybe she could make him understand. “Erik’s right, you know.”

Her words had Charles’ eyes snap open. He got out the chair, setting down the drink he was nursing on the table next to him, before he turned to face her. “Excuse me?”

“Peace isn’t an option ‘cause we’re never gonna get peace.” She shook her head, desperation in both her voice and eyes as she stared into his. “Erik thinks they’re gonna turn on us. They might not, but it doesn’t mean any of us will get any peace. They won’t all be like Shaw, they won’t all be like Moira, but most of them - most of them will just be human. They’ll fear us and they’ll judge us. It doesn’t matter how harmless we are or not.”

She watched as Charles took a step forward, his head tilting to the side, expression unreadable as his voice remained calm. “You can’t be serious.” It was a statement - a wrong one.

“Shaw needs to die,” She spoke with assurance. She felt her eyes fill with tears, Charles watching her suck in a breath and release as he began to walk closer to her, before she spoke in a whisper, no longer trusting her voice, “Shaw needs to die for what he did to us. We’re going to kill him, Charles.”

They’re faces we’re merely inches apart, chilling her to the bone as he looked at her. What she thought he would never do is what he tried the second he began to raise his hand, speaking quickly to her when he asked, “Us?”

His hand almost cupped her cheek when she turned her head away from it. Immediately, his hand froze. Charles watched her profile as more tears welled up in her eyes and her lips began to tremble. Voice weak and tearful, staring away from him, she pleaded, “Please don’t confuse me. I can’t-”

“I know you feel it,” Charles’ other hand came up to guide her face back to him despite her, whispering carefully, “But it is not your cross to bear.”

His hand was warm against her cheek. Comforting - enough to make her mind go blank. Wishful thinking, of course, because soon the clawing in her head would come back with a vengeance at having a man such as Charles touch her. For now, though, he felt safe. Stable. Enough so that she could close her eyes for a moment and let the tears fall as he leaned down to her and let his forehead press against hers.

“You can’t help but feel his pain,” She felt his breath against her lips as he spoke, his voice the same soft and soothing as she’s known it to be, “But you can decide what you do with it.”

She shook her head gently and pulled away, but still letting Charles’ hand rest against her cheek. “It’s not just-” she whispered to him, mouth feeling dry as her eyes avoided his, trying to piece her thoughts together. His hand slid down to the base of her neck, guiding her eyes to his. She licked her lips before she swallowed. “I barely knew Darwin, but he killed him right in front of us. And it was cruel and scary and I couldn’t even make myself look at it when it happened.”

“I know.” Charles brought his other hand up to brush away slow falling tears she hadn’t even known began to escape. He voiced nothing but concern, letting her continue as if he knew what she was going to say next.

Her hands reached up to wrap around his wrists, not to pull his hands away from her, but to simply hold onto them. Almost as if they were an anchor to make up for the tears she now felt were falling faster down her face as she realized. “For the first time, I think I want something, I feel this anger and fear, because of my head. I saw it first and I felt it first. It’s mine, and now I have a real responsibility to take care of it.”

“Not with murder.” Her hands tightened around his wrists as he brought her face closer to his own. A frown on his face as he desperately told her, “I meant it when I told you that we would figure this out together. You told me you were never your own person, that you don’t even know yourself. We were - we are - going to bring you into existence. I beg you, Y/N, don’t let yourself be brought into this world as a murderer.”

His words, as beautiful as they were, only half registered within her brain. All she found herself focusing on then was how close he was. She would think back later and come to realize that it was because the only thing making her tears stop and giving her the will not to commit a murder was the prospect of approval she would get from a man like him. From someone who could never understand her struggle, someone who never tried to or tried to make her feel as though there was some way out. From someone who wanted to build on it and show her the strength she could find within it.

Realistically, she knew he would have a few words for her if she ever outwardly admitted to him that she used approval as a means for bettering herself, but it was the best she could do at the time being.

Charles’ brows furrowed as he watched her face, spaced out and regarding him with an expression not even he could read. Somewhere deep down, though, he knew he had gotten through to her. His lips curled up slightly, speaking lowly with amusement evident in his voice, “Now where did you go?”

Her eyes shot from his lips to his eyes once more. As quick as they made eye contact, she leaned forward to press her lips against his. Lips soft, she kissed him carefully, one hand moving to cup his face. Only in the last few moments did he respond to it by kissing back.

She pulled away, looking at him nervously and letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in. Her mouth was dry again. “I’m sorry-”

She was cut off by Charles’ lips on hers once more. She kissed back instantly, sighing into the kiss in content. Feeling Charles smirk against her lips and deepen the kiss, she put both hands behind his neck, pulling his body closer to hers. He took her lower lip between his teeth, pulling slightly as he let his hands trail down her body to her waist, pulling her to make sure there wasn’t the slightest gap between their bodies.

Their lips broke apart, but only long enough to allow for a quick breath. Charles pushed his lips back into hers as her hands snaked down to the collar of his dress shirt, playing carefully with the top button.

Eventually, their lips broke apart as they caught their breath. Bodies still pressed together, Charles leant forward to rest his forehead onto hers, her eyes still close, for a moment before pressing a kiss to it. He placed his chin on top of her head and rested there, her head resting against the crook of his neck as she felt him - anticipating what it would feel like to feel nothing but him.

#x-men #x-men first class #x-men days of future past #x-men apocalypse #x-men dark phoenix #charles xavier x reader #charles xavier imagine #charles xavier one-shot #x-men imagine #x-men one-shot #charles xavier #erik lensherr #raven #mystique #sean #angel #hank mccoy #james mcavoy #michael fassbender

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daintyduck99 · 3 years ago

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one more try (to feel alive): Reggie finds a cute ghost girl in Bobby's garage and gives his heart away way too easily. Fluff and Angst, Role Reversal, Ghost Julie Molina, 1.4k

lucky enough to love you now: It's not surprising that she's drawn to men with a knack for music. It's funny how some part of her always seems to know. Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Second Love, Inspired by Brandy (You're A Fine Girl), Rated T, 1.7k

you belong with me: Reggie and Julie listen to Fearless and end up embodying the themes of the album. Fluff, Rated T, 16k

this love is glowing in the dark: "Real," she whispers. "You're real." Set in/inspired by @bananakarenina's for love's sake only series; short ficlet based on a tumblr prompt. Smut, Rated E, 902 words

we still worship this love series: smut with a University AU background, Fluff and Smut, Rated E, 4.7k

like northern stars: Julie's in the middle of helping Juniper cut up her pancakes when she asks, "What's a northern star? Are they special?" Fluff, Ficlet, Inspired By A Song, 761 words

Shower Me In Serenades: Julie and Reggie share a shower wall and spend the morning singing duets. Fluff, Rated T, 800 words

You'll Be Mine And I'll Be Yours: A series of pinky promises that mark Julie and Reggie’s relationship as they grow up. Fluff, Rated T, 8.4k

Our Steel String Waltz And Your Candy Lips: Julie wants to spend more time (i.e. flirt) with Reggie, so she asks him to teach her to play bass. Fluff, minor Luke/Reggie/Julie, Rated T, 1k, Moodboard

You’ve Ruined My Life By Not Being Mine: Julie has a huge crush on Gina Peters, so much so that she can barely speak to her. Fluff, Rated T, 1.5k, Gender-Bent Reggie

Love Me Like I’m Brand New: Reggie takes care of Julie when she pushes herself too hard. Fluff, Rated T, 3.4k, University AU

Deny Me Air, But Never Your Laughter: Reggie's determined to make Julie laugh. He discovers that his feelings for her have shifted in the process. Fluff, Queerplatonic Julie/Reggie & Luke & Alex, QPR Willie & Reggie, Willie/Alex, Rated T, 3.6k, Moodboard

Darlin', You're The One I Want: Reggie wants to marry Julie, but he only has a cherry bass and three quarters of a degree to his name. Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Rated T, 1.3k, Moodboard

Every Bite And Curtain Drawn: Julie loves to bite Reggie and distract him by touching the marks at inappropriate times. Fluff, Rated M, 750 words

Of Hearts Borrowed And Blue: Julie meets a cute stranger while she's on 'vacation' during the Christmas holidays and falls into a whirlwind romance. Fluff and Angst with a Happy Ending, Rated E, 18.2k, Hallmark AU

We Rule The Kingdom Inside Your Room: Julie has some hangups about sex and her period. Reggie helps. Fluff and Smut, Rated E, 2.4k

Drowning In You: Memories of their last bath make her inhale sharply. Fluff and Smut, Rated E, 2.7k

If Only In Your Wildest Dreams: Reggie reunites with Julie in the middle of a Sunset Curve set, and again after. Smut, Rated E, 2.8k

I'll Be Your Tangerine, You Can Peel Me With Your Teeth: Julie finds a stowaway on her ship, but she doesn't bite. Unless they're pretty, and they're into that sort of thing. Fluff and Smut, Rated E, 4k, Pirate AU

Shatter Me And Save The Pieces: Julie's very interested in the mirror Reggie's got in his bedroom. Fluff and Smut, Rated E, 2k

Trip of My Life (Every Time You're Touching Me): He touches her so reverently, and she melts into it as she kisses him again, wondering dizzily if this fire is one that burns hot enough to purify her, even if it’s only right here on nights like these, at the altar of their own making. Fluff and Smut, Rated E, 3.8k, Vampire AU, Moodboard

Say You Want Me, And I'm Yours: She's saying his name. Fluff and Smut, Rated E, 3.4k, University AU

All The Love In My Bones: She arches against him, but it’s more like they melt together, two halves welding into one whole. Fluff and Smut, Morning Sex, Rated E, 1.8k

#rulie #reggie x julie #fics with ash #masterlist chain #jatp fic #julie and the phantoms

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theroguequeenaniki · 3 years ago

Text

Questions 2009 -> 2021

This is from my Facebook. It popped up on my memories page thing. I originally answered this in 2009 when I was 15, it’s now 2021 & and I am 27, so I’m gonna do it again. Leaving the original answers. Original answers will be italicized. Commentary on the original answers in parentheses & crossed out? Lol. (I’m not gonna tag anyone, but, like, I guess if you want to answer these random questions from Facebook 12 years ago, go ahead lol)

Questions

Can you fill this out without lying? You've been tagged, so now you need to answer all the questions HONESTLY. At the end, choose people to tag. Don't forget to tag me so I can see your answers! To do this, copy this entire message, then go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, delete my answers, and type yours. Easy! Next, tag people that you think may enjoy this (in the right hand corner of the app). Click publish (at the bottom). Have fun! :) 1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth? My cup with my Big Red in it The straw to my Kate Spade tumbler to drink my HEB Cola Lol.

2.Where was your profile picture taken? I got it off the internet. it's a random anime girl. My bedroom. 3.Can you play Guitar Hero? Never played it. Probably wouldn't be good at it. Not to good at video games. But I am good at Mario Cart, both 64 and the Wii. plus I'm good at some Sonic games. Still never played it. Idk if I’m any good at Mario Cart or the Sonic games anymore, I haven’t played either in years lol

4.Name someone who made you laugh today? Doctor Who TikTok. My cats.

5.How late did you stay up last night and why? Umm, probably about 10:00 cause it took me forevor to get into bed. Uh..Past 4am. Lol. B/c my sleep schedule is fucked. I was in bed by 3am though, but I was playing games & watching TikToks on my phone. Lol.

6.If you could move somewhere else, would you? Yes. I'd move to either New York or Sweden. I don’t know. Part of me says yes. But part of me says no..b/c even though Texas has it’s faults (a LOT of them), I cannot imagine living anywhere else long-term..

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? HAHA. Yeah right. I've never even been kissed! Still nope. I have been kissed though. He just didn’t kiss me under the fireworks the one NYE we spent together...

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you? Um, I think R, but D might also. D is accross Stasney from me and R is a couple blocks down (I don’t talk to these people much anymore & I’m not going to share their names on Tumblr) Uh. I think Maybe Raven? B/c they’re the only one who lives in the same city still. But, Sarah might technically be closer distance wise? Hold on. Ok, yeah, Sarah’s closer, even though she doesn’t live in this city anymore.

9. Do you believe exes can be friends? It all depends on the situation.(I totally stold M's answer but it's true) (I don’t talk to this person anymore & I’m not gonna share their name on Tumblr) I mean, yeah. Two of my best friends are each others exes and they’re still friends. I haven’t stayed friend with my ex, but, uh, he ghosted me so? Lol.

10. How do you feel about Dr. Pepper? I love it. I still love it. Lol.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard? I can't remember. I don't think it was that long ago, I had a light cry on Saturday, but I don't remember the last time I cried really hard. When we got back from our trip in July. Had a full on breakdown that night. Overheated all weekend. Overwhelmed. Anxiety. It was not a very good vacation..I cry a lot though.

12. Who took your profile picture? I got it off of google. I did.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of? Umm, either myself, or one of my family members. Aside from myself. I think my dad, on his phone, b/c there was a cicada on his shoulder and he wanted to ask the family group chat if he could keep it. Lol. I take a LOT of pictures of cats though. Lol.

14. Was yesterday better than today? Hail yes! To much drama today! And I couldn't avoid it cause I was in the middle of it! (Oof, what drama was 15 yo Linda dealing with that she couldn’t avoid? Lol. I mean, I guess, Sophomore year was a bit full of drama lol) Anyway, I mean, they were pretty much the same. One wasn’t better than the other. One wasn’t worse than the other.

15. Can you live a day without TV? yeah. Now Music there is something I can't live without! Yep, Do it almost everyday. Sentiments about music remain the same. Lol.

16. Are you upset about anything? Yes. I'm annoyed about something and it's making me upset. (I assume this has something to do with the the drama mentioned earlier lol) Always. Anxiety & depression are a bitch. My rooms a mess & I can’t get myself to clean it. My shelves are still a mess.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? yeah. though i havent really had one yet. I mean, yeah. Even though I haven’t had one last, aside from friendships, but they’re worth it.

18. Are you a bad influence? I hope not. If so, let me know.(again I took M's answer but it's true) Probably. Idk. Lol.

19. Night out or night in? Depends on what's going on and how I feel about it. Night in usually. I do like going out sometimes, but, like, to dinner. Maybe a movie or a show. But, you know, we’ve been in a panini press, the only thing I’ve been comfortable doing is going to dinner (fully vaxxed & masked). But I also prefer staying home anyway. (Like I usually just go to dinner with my family lol)

20. What items could you not go without during the day? my computer. my book. my journal and a pen. My phone. My journal (b/c I write in it every night, as a diary, 14yo Linda wrote stories). Uh. I didn’t take food or drinks into account in the og, so I won’t in those. But, yeah. My phone & journal. I can go a day without my laptop if I need to. (Went the whole trip in July without pulling it out, though maybe that’s not a good example since my anxiety on that trip was so high..) I want to say a book, but I’ve been in a massive reading slump so...I wish I read as much as 15yo Linda did..

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? I don't remember. I think it was myself.(if you want to know, ask me in person) I honestly don’t know. I don’t remember the last time I was in a hospital.

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say? "Mrbobbybones: wish ted would finally meet their mother already. geez. get to it. However, I see myself in that character more and more each episode." yeah. That's what it says. It's from Twitter. (Huh? and I can’t even go check b/c my inbox doesn’t go back to 2009 on Twitter?? (I haven’t had my account that long) Wait wait wait just remembered I used to get tweets to my phone as text messages lol)

Facebook messenger: “ Cool” From our group chat. Lol.

From actual text messages on my phone: “ heeey! Just put up the Tuesday PDS just for you it’s a big one.” From Phillip Defranco’s text line Lol.

23. How do you feel about your life right now? I'm loving and hating it. but hey nobody gets out alive right? Uh..I mean. I’m alive. I have WiFi. Food. Family. I haven’t seen my friends in 2 years. (Minus Alex, b/c they were here in July to cat/house sit, but I saw them for like, one night..) There’s a lot that could be better. A lot that could be worse.

24. Do you hate anyone? yes!!! Oof. I mean, kinda.

25. If we were to look in your Facebook Inbox, what would we find? some random conversations. most of my convos on her though have been in chat or through comments. Facebook Inbox is now Facebook Messenger. So you’ll find all my Facebook Messenger convos. Mostly our group chat. And side group chats for secret planning (birthdays & stuff). Plus other chats? Lol.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? I better! (excuse me miss 15yo Linda you absolutely could have passed a drug test you ALSO didn’t drink or smoke or take any drugs lol) Yeah. Absolutely. I don’t drink or smoke or take any drugs so, yeah? Lol.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?

Yes. But I can't remember when... Yeah. Pretty sure.

28. What song is stuck in your head? Gee by SNSD(Girls Generation) They're Korean. A few My Chemical Romance songs

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be? EDWARD CULLEN! Joke! lol. No I don't know. If it was Edward, I'd call the cops. whoever it is though better have an explaination or they are gonna get hit in the head with my Book of Shadows. (Maybe I wouldn’t mind Edward at my window though? Lol.) Uh. My friends? Lol. Idk if I want anyone knocking on my window at 2am.

30.Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50? I don't know....... Uh. No? Idk. Most likely not gonna happen.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow? I can't think of anything right now... Eat. Should probably clean my room.

32. Do you think too much or too little? Way to much! lol. Way way way too much

33. Do you smile a lot? i try to. I think I do. I get told that alot in Theater...

I think so

#questions #throwback #is this a get to know me #idk

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squidproquoclarice · 4 years ago

Note

All the questions for the relationship meme :^)

All the questions for Sadithur (as discussed!), done. This one’s going largely under a cut because it’s long! Numerous other people requested a single answer, but since I got this one, please go ahead and refer to this for it.

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

How did they first meet?

He came to rob her house for survival supplies, and instead ended up rescuing her from being held prisoner by the men who’d murdered her husband. Not exactly a meet cute.

What was their first impression of each other?

Uhhhh, well. Arthur’s first impression of Sadie was “poor shocked woman who’s had her house broken into, her husband murdered, and been attacked herself by O’Driscolls for the last three days”. And Sadie’s first impression of Arthur is probably “large strange man who was in my house, shot the bastards who broke in, and is clearly a violent man himself, even if he saved me, and I’m not inclined to trust pretty much any man right now, let alone one with a gun.” Not the most promising beginning.

Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Hosea definitely hoped for them to become a couple at some point if they survived what was to come, even though he knew at that time neither of them was in a good place for it. Hosea’s very much the cheerleader for his kids being happy, to judge from his trying to get Abigail and John to reconcile, and given I’m sure he knows about Eliza and Isaac, he knows how lonely and traumatized Arthur is, and also sees the remarkable rapport and ease of manner he develops with Sadie. I also think Abigail, who loves both Arthur and Sadie deeply, kind of hoped for it also. She knows how lonely they both are, and sees how they are around each other, and we know she’s definitely a bit of a romantic and a believer in the power of love. I suspect Tilly might have leaned in that direction too, because Tilly’s perceptive AF, and Arthur’s Big Bro. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Arthur. Understandably so, as his grief for Isaac and Eliza is further in the past than Sadie’s for Jake. It was still only a matter of a couple of months difference, though. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Not so much resisted as restrained. They readily accepted they felt that way, and that the person they felt romantic feelings towards was more than worthy of it. They were just questioning whether it was right and fair to put those feelings on the other person. Both of them had concerns--Arthur felt like he had nothing to offer Sadie and had no right to impose on her like that with his feelings, and Sadie had concerns that Arthur would just be bulldozed into a relationship from just being happy to be wanted, and she was unwilling to hurt him like that.

If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think? Almost immediately the two of them click in a profound way and they’re very close and comfortable with each other. The trust and affection and deep friendship is already there, so I don’t think they’d be shocked to hear they’d be so important to each other. But they would likely have both been very surprised at the idea of also being together romantically and sexually at some point. Not as a reflection of the other person being unsuitable, but because after so much trauma and self-loathing and loss, neither of them could imagine having that in their lives.

GENERAL

Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

Neither of them really made a move. It just sorta happened as a slow change over a couple of years from friends to a cohabiting queerplatonic couple to spouses.

Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

In a sense, their first date was that shopping-and-gunfighting trip to Rhodes, which was pretty memorable, and shows off their immediate easy chemistry and battle couple potential. But in terms of a genuine romantically intended “first date”, not really. They were essentially a QPR by the time they admitted to now having romantic/sexual feelings as well, so things were intense and committed enough already that they didn’t need a date. They just moved right towards getting married.

What was their first kiss like?

They both had resolved to admit their feelings to each other after the wedding of two of their friends. Then they got a little tipsy at the wedding, ended up saying a bit too much, and Sadie took the initiative and kissed Arthur. Given he kissed back very enthusiastically, she could be pretty sure he wasn’t just playing along with her. But they realized they needed to talk, so they tabled it until the next day when they were sober again and could talk about it.

Were they each other’s first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)?

For Sadie, no. She’d been married very happily to Jake. For Arthur, this was the first relationship with solid grounding and a solid future rather than youthful fantasy like Mary, and he’s surprised at how easy it is to be with Sadie, including being vulnerable, because of that trust. It’s also the first time he’s had sex and actually really been comfortable and enjoyed it rather than just being left feeling awkward and even more alone, given he comes across very strongly as some type of asexual (I write him specifically as demisexual) and didn’t have opportunities for the emotional intimacy he needs to be interested in sex. Both of them actually had their first kiss in a same-sex romance, though Sadie wasn’t able to acknowledge hers as romantic until much later.

What’s their height difference? Age difference?

Given Roger and Alex’s heights, and their corresponding relative heights in-game looking accurate to that height differential, I put Arthur at 6’ish and Sadie at 5’4”ish, so there’s an 8 inch height difference. As for age, it’s canonical that Arthur was born in 1863. I have him as a July birthdate, so he’s 35 for the early bits of the game, and 36 for most of it. Sadie appears to be 30ish (she’s definitely no 24-year-old), and I write her as having been born in April of 1868. So she’s 31 for all of RDR2. That puts their age difference as a smidge under 5 years.

What’s their relationship with each other’s families?

Both of them have lost their biological parents by 1899. Arthur’s only bio sibling (David) died even before Arthur even knew him. Sadie lost an older brother (Henry), and she’s become estranged from her younger sister Caroline, though they patch that up. Arthur has yet to meet Caro, though, as she’s been living in Oregon. So the only real family in question was the gang, and clearly Sadie was not only accepted by them, she actually stepped up and led them.

Who takes the lead in social situations?

Sadie tends to, and Arthur readily relies upon and defers to her experience there. He’ll be the first to admit his life didn’t exactly teach him the boundaries and everyday pleasantries of Victorian social order, and sometimes that’s to the good. Sadie’s not exactly a paragon of it herself as a hardscrabble farm girl who doesn’t defer to misogyny, but she’s aware of some of those rules, boundaries, and undercurrents in a way Arthur isn’t. So he’s not too proud to let her take the lead in a social situation, or to ask her advice in dealing with something without giving offense.

Who gets jealous easier?

Arthur would have, early on. He was far more insecure in himself (and as Sadie admits, he’ll always be a little more fragile than her in that realm), but he was probably more likely to morosely turn doubts on himself as a perceived inadequacy and personal failure rather than to get jealous of Sadie. Being romantically or sexually jealous really kind of requires insecurity and lack of trust, and they’ve moved far beyond that.

LOVE

Who said “I love you” first?

I had to double check. Arthur said it first when he proposed to her, but Sadie immediately followed it.

What are their primary love languages?

For both, I think Quality Time/Acts of Service. Showing love for both of them is in spending time together doing things, doing little things for each other, and basking in that friendship that’s the solid foundation of everything between them. There’s a bit of Physical Touch in there also due to both of them being somewhat touch-starved. I do think Arthur has some Words of Affirmation in there as well, because sometimes he truly needs to hear praise and affection deliberately and unequivocally stated to be able to believe it’s real, and Sadie’s come to realize that and respond to it.

How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

They’re not really an overt PDA couple. What they have they consider generally very intense but private. They do like to cuddle in private, and small touches here and there are common enough.

What are their favorite things to do together?

Just spend time together, to be honest. It could be reading together (silently or one of them aloud), playing music together, doing chores, cooking, spending time with the kids, training horses, lying in bed talking, or anything. They just genuinely enjoy each other’s company.

Who’s better at comforting the other?

It’s a learned skill for both of them since neither was great at articulating feelings, but the months at Las Hermanas when they were both healing psychologically while Arthur was healing physically did a lot. They’re both fairly good at nonverbal comfort, and reaffirming each other.

Who’s more protective?

Pick a day. It can vary. ;) I think we see in-game they’re both fiercely protective of each other. I do think Arthur has the knack of being protective of her in a non-patronizing, non-paternalistic way, which Sadie appreciates. It’s still been hard for her to accept that needing and taking help isn’t admitting she’s weak. Arthur kind of had to get over that notion during his TB convalescence because he constantly needed help for things.

Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

A mix of both. Usually not big overt dramatic demonstrations, since that’s not their dynamic, but quick little affectionate touches (on the arm, the cheek, etc.), using fond nicknames and pet names, and things like that.

What are some songs that apply to their relationship, in-universe or otherwise?

I’ll keep working on this and probably post some of my Sadithur playlist at some point.

What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

“Art” and “Daisy” are their private affectionate nicknames, given Sadie jokingly calling him “artsy Art” as he’s an artist, and Arthur admitting he couldn’t come up with a fitting nickname from “Sadie” and just rearranging the sounds a bit. After Sadie used it in-game, “honey” is probably the most common pet name they use.

DOMESTIC LIFE

If they get married, who proposes?

Arthur did. That’s not because Sadie is a traditionalist by any means. But I do think there’s the part of her that likes to know she’s not steamrollering someone, and that they got to take their own initiative. Then especially in Arthur’s case, I think he needed to ask. She needed to be sure that Arthur wanted to be with her, rather than it being a case of her wanting him and him going along with it from being happy to be wanted by her. I also think he needed it too to prove to himself he could be confident enough in what he had to offer Sadie to ask, and to stand equal to her.

What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

They had a very small wedding at their home in Chuparosa, for several reasons. One is because they’re just not the type for huge demonstrative parties for their own sake, even if they enjoy them when they’re celebrations for someone else. Neither of them really likes being a massive center of attention. Two, they were fairly alone. They’d made some friends in Mexico, but aside from Charles (who they knew went to Canada), everyone else from the gang was a mystery to them. Three, they kept it small and quiet also since they’d sorta accidentally ended up playing fake married since Arthur’s admission to Las Hermanas in order to stick together. So everyone already assumed they were a married couple, and they didn’t want it to become a big obvious thing. Sister Calderon was the officiant (since it was a secular wedding of two avowed non-Catholics), and their friends Pedro and Juanita Estevez from Las Hermanas were the witnesses. Dr. Felipe Garcia, Arthur’s doctor who’d also become a friend, also attended, as did Albert Mason, who they’d found in Escalera a few weeks before on yet another wildlife photography expedition.

How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like?

Mild Sunrise spoiler ahoy, but as of 1908 they’ll have four: Beatrice (born 1902), Matthew (born 1903), Susanna (born 1905, adopted by them in 1907) and Andrew (born in 1908). I also see them as likely taking in some older kids later once Susie and Andy are a bit older, because Arthur in particular would be passionate about the need to try to give a couple of orphaned and/or homeless teens and near-teens a home. He knows the kind of people who take you in, or if it doesn’t happen at all, can make a huge difference. As for personality, Bea’s very much a fierce no-nonsense sort but very protective of the younger kids, Mattie’s a sweet boy who’s going to become a gentle giant, and as for Susie and Andy, I’ll wait to see what they tell me. Andy’s not born yet, and Susie’s both very young and dealing with the trauma of losing her family to Micah’s gang, so she’s understandably not showing much of her true personality just now.

Do they have any pets?

Aside from a lot of horses? They ended up with a black cat (Dido) at the very end of 1899, adopted during the first weeks of Arthur’s convalescence at Las Hermanas and helping keep him company during all that bed rest. Then they picked up a stray dog (Dusty) in Armadillo in 1901 during fighting the cholera epidemic--this is the Armadillo “Mutt” in-game. The most recent addition is a border collie puppy (Dorothy), who they’ve adopted from MacFarlane’s Ranch in 1907, given Charlie the border collie being there in RDR1.

Who’s the stricter parent?

This ended up being something of a big fight, actually, and probably the first huge blow-out in their marriage. Sadie felt like she was the only one providing discipline and accountability as Bea got old enough to start to need it. Arthur understandably was feeling his way through parenting since mostly what he has is negative examples from Lyle (physical abuse) and Dutch (profound psychological abuse). Even Hosea’s parenting was sort of indirect and elusive sometimes. So he was being very hands-off on discipline out of a need to make certain the kids knew they were loved, and to not worry that he was hurting them. But he couldn’t do that and leave Sadie all the heavy lifting while he gets to be identified as the “nice” parent and the joybringer, and the two of them came to realize that. I’d say they’re about even now.

Who kills the bugs in the house?

Both of them. Neither is squeamish by any means.

How do they celebrate holidays?

Usually fairly quietly at home with family, but with remembrances of things dear to them. Songs and music, decorations, favorite foods, little family rituals. They like to keep that kind of thing alive where they can.

Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Sadie. She knows how hard farming is, so she’s up and at it when there’s work to be done. But she never had Arthur’s long years of anxious need to stay busy no matter what so he was proving his usefulness.

Who’s the better cook?

They’re both pretty decent at it. Sadie actually likes cooking, but she doesn’t like being expected to do it just because she’s a woman, so she’s rather protective of that notion. Arthur came to it late, as kitchen duty was one of the first light jobs a TB patient at Las Hermanas could have after being allowed off total bed rest. Given how bored he was by then, cooking became something really exciting, and he found out he actually enjoyed it, both the kind of soothing ritual of all those steps, and then producing something tangible by it.

#arthur morgan #sadie adler #sadithur #rdr2 #ship overview meme #actuallyhansolo

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angelofarts · 4 years ago

Text

Masterlist of fics

Simple as 1, 2, 3

After her mother's death and her subsequent loss of music, performing arts student Julie Molina is at risk of not graduating from her performing arts high school in New York, possibly set to lose her scholarship to the college of her dreams. When a friend suggests a trip to LA to jumpstart her creative batteries, Julie figures she has nothing to lose and agrees.

In LA, Luke and his friends are just trying to enjoy a night out at the (very illegal) dance club they frequent. A chance encounter leads to a dance battle and Luke left with a jacket with one name embroidered in the collar - Rose.

When Carrie introduces her friends to her brother's band, sparks fly like wildfire. But Luke and Julie are both torn between the person in front of them, and the mysterious stranger they met at the club...

The remainder of the “Keep your head up, don’t take your eyes off the road” series:

Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness, and you fill my head with you

“Are you telling me,” Willie said after a moment of silence, “that not one of us actually knows how to put up a tent?”

Reggie shrugged with his characteristic smile. “How hard could it be?"

The camping fic that was requested on Tumblr.

Saw my plans come undone ‘Cause I knew you were the one

Rose doesn't want to be at this club. Ray was dragged in by his friend Trevor. This is how Ray claims he fell for Rose before first sight.

And when you feel your pulse, knock you over like an animal

I was asked, and I deliver: What did Willie mean when he said they couldn't prove the monkey had anything to do with him?

Darling all I want to do is be with you tonight

The requested oneshot - Carrie and Nick during the raid, featuring an explanation for her limping and why her wig was pushed to the side.

You keep samin' when you oughta be a'changin', Now what's right is right but you ain't been right yet

Flynn frowned. “You are way too chill about this. I seek vengeance.”

“I seek pickles on my burger,” Willie replied drily.

What's as intriguing or half so fatiguing As what's out of reach

When Luke, Alex, Nick and Bobby are all sad because the New York Brats left, Reggie decides the party elves need to come out to help.

Now I'm all caught up in the highs and the lows, It's a shock to my system

5 times Luke tried to get help for his plans for their 1 month anniversary, and 1 time he trusted his instincts.

To be young and in love in New York City

Requested oneshot: the group returns to New York for a weekend trip so that Nick, Alex and Bobby can say goodbye to Rose properly. Alex comes to an important conclusion.

I'll make the moon shine just for your view, I'll make the starlight circle the room

Emily uses their Friday night family dinners to embarrass Luke, with the encouragement of his friends and girlfriend.

Needle and a thread, gotta get you out of my head

Knitter Luke and his path towards yarn present goodness.

Unrelated stories:

Mr. and Mr. Mercer

“Let’s try something else. Describe how you first met.”

“It was in Columbia,” Alex offered. “Five years ago.”

“Six.”

Alex gave him a pointed smile. “Five or six years ago.”

“Why don’t we start from there?”

What Do Stars Do Best?

How does Julie Molina intend to capture the heart of her one true love, Carrie? Well, it's easy, isn't it. Cross the wall and retrieve a fallen star, make it back in time for Carrie's birthday, and live happily ever after.

One problem. The star has a name, and it's Luke. And he is not very pleased about being given to anyone, thank you very much.

The Stardust AU no one asked for (featuring lightning pirates!)

You Will No Longer Be Obedient

Fairy tales tell, as their labels imply, stories of magic, of creatures that fly. With giants and dragons and ogres and elves, and inanimate objects that speak for themselves. There’s romance and danger and plotting of schemes. There’s good guys and bad guys and some guys in between. A fairy tale also reveals some sort of truth, the perils of choices we face in our youth. But our story today is different in theme, for our hero had no choice, or so it would seem. It starts with a fairy bestowing a spell. This one’s for a baby named Julie of Frell.

The Ella Enchanted AU no one asked for

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #julieandthephantoms #julie and the phantoms fanfic #julieandthephantomsfanfic #jatp fanfic

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bastillewolf · 5 years ago

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The Grand Tranquility Hotel (VIII)

Pairing: Alex Turner/Reader

Summary: An eccentric hotel owner and an inquisitive writer find solace in each other when they both seemed to be at the edge of rock bottom.

Notes: I hope I gave this chapter enough build-up. Bit of a different perspective, too. Hope you enjoy!

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list.

Chapter VIII - Golden Trunks

Alex threw his coat over his shoulders tiredly. He had to deal with the aftermath of the unravelled fraud committed in his own hotel, and it wasn’t something he was looking particularly forward to. Though he had good connections with the city’s chief policeman James Ford, the strenuous investigation and the stack of paperwork it would entail was something they both dreaded.

He’d asked Matt to taxi him, because he simply hadn’t slept well enough to trust himself to drive properly. It had been this way for months on end now, and he knew it was as a result of the stress he’d been dealing with. Whatever the doctor had given him didn’t work, so he’d always end up spending the nights on his balcony with a smoke and a glass of his favourite whiskey. What he wouldn’t do for one of those right now.

“Heading off again?”

She was leaning against the doorway, looking charming as ever. “We missed you during breakfast.”

“Considering Jamie’s blood pressure, I don’t think I was missed all that much, love,” he replied with a small smile. “I’m headed off to the city. I still have some business with the police to handle.”

“Have fun with that.”

He hummed, “If I’m at the brink of being bored to death, I’ll just remember I still have a guest I need to keep my eye on before she ruins my good reputation.”

“Did you just admit to fantasizing about me, mister Turner?”

He laughed, before hearing the honk of the Cadillac echoing through the lobby. “I hope to see you at lunch, writer.” He closed the final button of his coat before stepping out the front doors.

“You didn’t answer my question!” he heard her call after him. He left with a feeling of boyish giddiness, and he wasn’t quite sure what to think of it.

His trip to and from the police office had left him more tired than he wanted to admit, and it had taken up more time of his day than expected. It wasn’t until dinner that he was able to join his guest and staff for his first proper meal of the day. He scolded himself, knowing what his mother would’ve said to him if she saw him like this.

The dining hall appeared to be more dimly lit than usual and he wanted to ask Nick about it, but when he saw him carelessly conversing with Jamie at the table, his conscience decided against it. He knew how hard Nick had been working the past few weeks.

They all greeted him with cautionary smiles and hellos, which he’d gotten used to over the past few years. Previous events had led him to be stricter about certain things and he knew very well that it had put a strain on their friendship. Part of him missed the old days, but he realized it was better this way. If the hotel did ever go bankrupt, they’d blame him, and they would be right to do so. For if they didn’t blame him, they’d blame themselves, and he wanted to prevent that at all costs.

She was sitting next to him, and as the predominant conversation the guys were having was able to drown out anything else, she muttered, “I thought we’d be seeing you at lunch, mister Turner?”

“My apologies, love. Business took me longer than expected,” he disclosed softly, “I hope my staff kept you entertained?”

“I’m very capable of keeping myself entertained, mister Turner. I don’t need your staff to manage.” She had a devious twinkle in her eyes, which made him smirk. “Luckily you don’t,” he replied, “all they’re good at is getting you into trouble.”

“Speaking of trouble-“ She pulled a newspaper from her bag and slid it over to him, which quieted down everyone at the table. Alex’ eyes sleekly scanned over the headline.

‘The Grand Tranquility Hotel: A blissful sanctuary with the most charming personnel - and owner.”

The other men at the table seemed to be waiting warily for his response, clearly already having been informed of the whole ordeal. When Alex blankly kept rereading it a dozen times over, feeling a numbness settle over him, Nick decided to speak up; “The article was very well-received, Alex. I’ve had more bookings for the next holiday than we’ve had all summer.”

“I think this might have saved us, Al,” Matt added, his hand grasping his shoulder supportively.

He finally managed to look up at her. “How did you do it?” He asked, his brow set in a deep furrow.

“Do what?”

“How did you manage to make it to the front paper?”

“I pulled some connections,” she replied with a small smile.

He blinked. It didn’t make any sense to him. Connections? How did she get it in the paper so soon? When had she been planning this?

“But, why?” When she gave him a look of confusion, he elaborated, “You owe nothing to this hotel. Your mother had a history here, sure. But your stay here hasn’t been relaxing for you in the slightest. Why help us?”

“Unlike your previous presumptions, mister Turner, I don’t have any ulterior motives. I simply want to see good people succeed in life, like my mother used to.”

Dinner was continued with the tension having been relieved completely. He stole long looks at her as they ate, and it was everything about her that suddenly seemed to intrigue him beyond words. How someone could be so utterly pure with their intentions, he didn’t know. It bewildered him to an immense extent and he suddenly felt very unworthy of all the things she’d done for them over the small amount of time she’d known them.

When they were done, he asked if he could walk her back to her room. She said yes.

“You never answered my question,” she commented, having arrived before the pristine white door of room 521. He gave her a look that told her he wasn’t sure what she was talking about, and she gave him a knowing smile. She stepped closer to him and he felt a warmth filling his chest in a pleasant way. Her gentle breath sent a tingling sensation along his spine when it reached his ear. “I’ll be upfront, mister Turner. Sometimes I fantasize about you, too.”

He awoke with a start, and Matt gave him a look through the rear-view mirror. He’d fallen asleep in the car after visiting the police station. He’d dreamt it all and wanted nothing more than to hit his head against the door of the car repeatedly.

Because finally, he realized what this incessant gut feeling had been at the hands of some laughable dream. This writer, who he was ever so cautious with, who gave him stress to no relief and made him beyond distracted of everything around him, had managed to sulk into his deeply barricaded heart when he’d done so much to prevent it from happening.

It wasn’t just the day she’d arrived, where he had told Matt to take care of everything because it was just one guest. Because all hotel owners know that having just one guest can have more impact on a hotel than a fully booked one ever could. It wasn’t just the fact that he’d pushed her away every time she tried to bring up her idea for her book because no one should ever know what really happened.

It had all started with her mother’s visit. The time it was off-season, and she was the only visitor.

She had called him a charming young man. “You should meet my girl,” she’d said, “She would fall in love with you in a heartbeat.” He’d gracefully declined the offer, of course. But now, suddenly knowing who this beautiful and intriguing woman turned out to be, he felt as if he’d made the biggest mistake not having accepted her mother’s good-humoured invite.

He thanked Matt as he stepped out of the car, before hurriedly making his way inside in search of the writer he was so giddy to see. He found her in the library, curled up with the same romance novel they’d bantered over not days before. “Welcome back,” she smiled, “Would you care to go on a walk with me?” And he was glad to finally be able to accompany her.

The drowning noise of the fountain seemed to derive him of some of his anxiousness and he deeply breathed in the fresh evening air. It was a poor attempt at finding his courage, which he was so deeply in search of these days.

“Who was the architect of the building, if I may ask?” she wondered, stopping for a brief moment with him to look up at the structure. He huffed, “A substantial question. But not the one you’ve evidently been meaning to ask for a long time.”

She looked back at him, and he inspected her face. He had almost second guessed his current decision, if it hadn’t been for the way her eyes lit up with an intimate intrigue. He held out his arm to her in a silent invite, which she took gracefully. Leading her down the illuminated driveway towards the treeline as the gravel cracked beneath their feet, he started by finally telling the truth.

“I think you remember that picture I showed you with your mother in it.” She nodded expectantly. “You recall the staff member in between Jamie and Matt? He used to be one of my best mates in high school, too. His name was Andy Nicholson. And he was probably the base of everything I worked on that had to do with the hotel.

He was the one to introduce me to this girl. She was as pretty as she was smart, and it was as if she had fallen from the sky because it so happened to be that she’d always wanted to work in a hotel. During her first interview, she told me how much she’d always been in awe of The Grand Tranquility and how it would give her a lifetime of happiness if she could get employment here. I didn’t think much of her at the time, but Andy had put in a good word for her, so I hired her in a whim. We had lots of staff at the time, so it wasn’t uncommon to hire someone new on a trial period.”

“Was she good at her job?” she asked in interest.

“She was, which is why I never saw a fault in her. She was a hard worker and never seemed to have any ill intent, towards guests nor other staff members. Everyone loved her, and I quickly became infatuated.”

He swallowed and she could tell he was struggling to continue. She slid her hand down his arm to cautiously interlock her fingers with his, which he responded to agreeably.

“It lasted for a long time,” he admitted, “And I would have done anything for her. It wasn’t until Andy suddenly started asking questions that I became suspicious. And not towards her, either. I was wondering what my best friend, who had introduced the two of us, was doing asking ridiculous questions and making assumptions about her that I was certain weren’t true. We argued about it, more than once, until he finally told me that I should fire her because he knew something was up with her. And I fucking sacked him instead. Because I didn’t want anyone talking about someone I truly loved like that.”

“Oh, Alex…” she sighed, halting him to a stop and squeezing his hand in comfort.

“He turned out to be right in the end. She’d been committing fraud the entire time we were together, and stole practically all of our funds. We had no evidence since she was smart enough to leave no traces and had fled the country by the time we found out.”

“It’s not your fault. Whatever drove you so far to put your friendship on the line, that’s all on her. I’m sure Andy understands that?”

He huffed, “I haven’t had the guts to contact him.”

“Then maybe that would be a step in the right direction?” she implied carefully.

His lip managed to form into an amused grin, despite the situation. “You don’t cease to amaze me, writer. I’ve just told you my biggest secret and you’re still sympathizing with me.”

“Well, let’s just say I like you better when you open up to me than when you’re shouting at me.”

His gaze softened. “I’m sorry, truly. I’d take everything back if I could.”

“Don’t be. You had your reasons to be cautious and now I see them more clearly.”

Her eyes flickered in the shimmering light of the yellowish bulbs hanging from the trees, and it made the colour in them so much more vibrant to him. He felt himself leaning closer to her, his arm sliding around the low of her back to diminish the space between them until finally, their lips touched, and electricity sparked. She closed her eyes and caressed a hand over his cheek, melting into his warm embrace like chocolate in a cup of steaming milk.

He moaned softly against her and it lit up everything inside her while he deepened their kiss, wanting to taste and feel every part of her until they ran out of breath. They held each other close, as if either letting the other know they felt comfortable with whatever it was between them.

“I’m putting my trust in you, writer,” he murmured against her lips, his glazy eyes not once breaking contact with hers, “Something I don’t do very often anymore.”

She nodded breathlessly, running her fingers through his soft hair. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Alex. I promise.”

#Arctic Monkeys #Alex Turner #Alex Turner x Reader #Miles Kane #Matt Helders #Jamie Cook #Nick O'Malley #TLSP #The Last Shadow Puppets #AM #Humbug #TBHC #Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino #Reader Insert #Romance #Fanfiction #Suck It And See

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curlytemple · 5 years ago

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alrighty @scottspack here i am to show my ass

top 10 ships tag! these aren’t “in order” but #1 is #1

1. cory and topanga! (boy meets world) my very first thought when given this prompt, theyre the blueprint! they are just BABIEs when they meet and they already Know each other. i will not pretend that topanga didnt shape me into the kind of girl who wouldnt change one thing about herself for a boy, keep your legs hairy and your convictions strong! the way they grow together is enough to make me hate god for not giving ME a cory matthews. high school ski trip infidelity aside, theyre the first couple that made me think i could find a man. i was wrong but its nice to think about.

2. kim possible and ron stoppable... the way the entire series is about kim being a wildly competent type A cheerleader AND teenage vigilante super spy and ron is her chilled out lame best friend who is Always there to help her save the day... please take a moment to listen to the jesse mccartney song why don’t you kiss her? that plays during the romantic climax of the kim possible movie, perfectly capturing the intense fear that comes with thinking about maybe finally kissing your best friend from preschool at your junior prom.

3. tami and coach eric taylor (friday night lights) ...come on, y’all!!!! genuinely the most real relationship i have ever seen on screen. i don’t even know what to say other than that they are REAL. coach and tami are such a good couple that it doesn’t make any sense to me that their kid would have such a massive stick up her ass. i even tried an ‘empathize with julie’ rewatch, and while a lot of her teen angst is understandable and even relatable, she still seems so disconnected from her parents/dillon at the end of the show in a very unsatisfying way! coach and tami are the heart of fnl. and tim riggins.

4. belly conklin and conrad fisher (the summer i turned pretty trilogy by jenny han) bro.... when your mother’s dying wish is for you to care for your little brother, so when he has a little crush on the girl you are In Love With you bury your feelings and go to college far away because nothing is more important than their happiness, and they could be happy together! and years go by and theyre going to get married and youre set on being Happy For Them until you find out how much your brother has actually done to break her heart and her trust and then the thought of her settling for him is even more devastating than your true desire for her to settle for you.... WHEW! when you’ve been busy coming of age and trying to make it work with your best friend that isnt really right for you and then you find out his brother who you’ve been in love with your whole life turned into a distant asshole because the most important person in yalls lives taught him to be selfless and he over-corrected in his grief... BOY!! this one makes me feel like my heart is in my stomach.

5. SENSE8! can i just say all of it? everything and everyone? if you are bisexual and havent watched sense8 yet, this one is for us, baby! the ship is an interconnected web of LOVE AND TRUST. the pairings are endless. if i HAD to choose my fav, wolfgang and kala (and rajan <3) and i cant explain why i would pick them over anyone else, thats just what my pussy told me. but frankly i shouldnt have to choose, THEY ALL SHARE ONE CONSCIOUSNESS! ONE LOVE!

6. david and patrick (schitt’s creek) you know the way we all feel like we aren’t enough and we’re Way Too Much.. dan levy really said hey guys? no offense but i think we might be capable of loving and even maybe Being Loved. the way patrick is all in on david rose from the moment he meets him, before he can even consider what that means about himself... the way they push each other out of their comfort zones and only get more comfortable with themselves and each other.. the way david’s abstract monochrome wardrobe fills with HEARTS AND RAINBOWS !!!!!! again, where’s my man? ANYWAYS,

7. todd and rory (straight up) anna said this post is for romantic ships only and so I CAN AND WILL INCLUDE THEM. i don’t want to give any spoilers because i dont think tumblr has seen this yet, but when i say this is THE romcom of the year, perhaps of my life, trust!! todd is a gay man with a sex aversion who decides to try to date women and rory is the brilliant woman he actually falls in love with. sometimes soulmates dont fuck!!! maybe there are no rules to a good relationship besides mutual respect, understanding, and the undeniable desire to Be Together. i rest my case!

8. drew barrymore and adam sandler is this valid? again i dont know or care. i grew up on adam sandler movies and drew barrymore makes him better every time. they’ve only done 3 movies together, one of which i have not and will not see (2014 is just too cursed to return to) but even tho these two have never been a couple in real life their chemistry is so palpable that they consider each other the person they will grow old with on screen. if that’s not hollywood romance, i dont know what is! sorry to timothy olyphant but even drew says adam is The One.

9. stef and lena adams-foster (the fosters) MOM AND MOMMA! listen, abc family shows are insane, but stef and lena make the drama worthwhile. their house full of teens is not perfect or easy, but never have i ever seen lesbian moms at the center of any media, let alone ones who thrive like they do when they communicate, support each other, and lead with love. this is a couple who chooses each other and their babies over and over again. its about putting in the work, having the tough conversations, and making the hard decisions because you care!!!!!

10. I DONT KNOW HOW TO END THIS, I LOVE LOVE! michael and alex! marshall and lily! steve and nancy AND jonathan! lizzie mcguire and gordo! rachel and griffin mcelroy! nick and jess! schmidt and cece! fleabag and the priest! amy pond and rory! river song and the doctor! ROSE and the doctor! MY MOM AND DAD!!!! mickey and ian! han and leia! johnny and gheorghe! princess bubblegum and marceline the vampire queen! jackie and kelso! jackie and HYDE! donna and eric! kitty and red! richie and eddie! jake and amy! brittany and santana! tim and tyra! JACK AND ENNIS! dj and steve! uncle jesse and aunt becky! aziraphale and crowley! bob and linda belcher! LARRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#will i ever be comfortable posting my thots and onions? maybe not #but here they are!#liv when i read [explanation redacted] i have never felt so close to you #love to socialize on tumblr dot com !

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tackyink · 4 years ago

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✄ and ♡ for ios! (i am trying to read ch of alex but its hard in between the cooking!! and i want to read it so bad!!!)

If you still haven’t been able to read it, I just posted everything on AO3! It will be easier on the eyes and the app, at least.

✄: something i deleted before the final draft

There’s this bit that didn’t make the cut in chapter 41, during the party at Zou:

“That was lucky,” Penguin said before Usopp pulled him away to dance around the campfire.

“Sounds like fate, that so many strong people happened to be there at the same time,” Marina commented.

“Don’t tell me you’re becoming superstitious.”

“It’s a manner of speech.”

“It was really lucky, though,” Bepo said, and he asked Law, “What were you planning to do if the Straw Hats and the Revolutionary Army hadn’t shown up?”

Law’s response was a guilty silence because even he wasn’t shameless enough to lie to Bepo in the face, and Saki’s slow, mirthless cackle was all the mink needed to switch topics.

“I’m out of drink, I’ll be back!”

“Yeah, I’m going to check up on the Straw Hats, see if they need anything for the trip,” Marina said.

They quickly retreated.

♡: my favorite part

Possibly the scene at the end of the Niva arc when Saki got ill and a kiss almost happened, because not only was it fun to write, but also I received all sorts of comments after that. Is this what romance authors have to deal with every day? I was cackling for a week after posting.

#glowssary #tacky asks

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aewriting · 5 years ago

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Authursday: Tasyfa

For today’s Authursday, I wanted to highlight @tasyfa

Tasyfa has not only produced one of the best long fics in the Roswell NM fandom, but she has also created this entire AU world set in Toronto that explores a sub/dom relationship between Michael and Alex. In preparing this post, I realized that she has actually written 41 fics for the Roswell NM fandom, which is incredible! Quite a lot of range, and the writing is always high quality. For the purposes of this post, I am going to focus on her masterwork, “Through the Violet Glass,” as well as her AU series, “Spinning Circle of Flames.” There will be some spoilers, so if you haven’t read these, go now!

I think we are really lucky, in the Roswell NM fandom, to have a lot of talented writers, including folks that make some excellent longer, novel-length works of fiction. There are a few of these longer works that I read real-time, such as beamirang’s “The Old Astronomer” and myrmidryad’s recent “Shadow Work” (both excellent). For whatever reason, though, I did not discover “Through the Violet Glass” until it was well underway. From reading works in tasyfa’s “Spinning Circle of Flames” series, I was pretty darn sure that I would like it, but I wanted to be able to really sink into it and enjoy it, and that can sometimes be tough to find the time to do with a long fic.

About a month ago, I unexpectedly had to go on a lengthy road trip with only my youngest child (little enough that it wouldn’t really matter what I listened to in the car). I was contemplating what I wanted to hear – podcasts, playlists, audiobooks? And then thought to myself, I wonder if there’s an app that would read a website to me? That would, um, read “Through the Violet Glass” to me? So I downloaded an app called Motoread, and that is how I “read” “Through the Violet Glass!”

II was so impressed with the plot of “TTVG.” I think that, at times, when you’re working from canon (and a fairly limited one, as tasyfa started this work early in the series), you can be somewhat constrained in where you take your plot, but oh my god, there were a few twists here that were SO good and so creative. I remember being in the car and gasping when Alex found out that his father had married Violet, the fourth alien. I also thought that tasyfa’s choice to make Sanders the fifth alien, and to reveal him the way she did, in the midst of Alex’s showdown with his father in the junkyard, was very well done. I always appreciate a twist that is creative but still earned, if that makes sense, and I believe tasyfa really delivered in “Through the Violet Glass.”

As much as "TTVG" is focused on action, adventure, and intrigue, though, at its heart it’s a story about Michael and Alex rebuilding trust with each other and trying to form a real relationship. This is a really good slow burn. Their physical relationship feels very hard fought, and I think tasyfa does a nice job of exploring the impact of Alex’s PTSD, and of Michael’s psychological scars from his upbringing and feelings of isolation and abandonment. There are some beautifully written passages that really stuck with me. I thought Alex and Michael’s initial attempt to help Michael control his powers, which included Alex goading him in some not so nice ways, was well-done, as was the scene in which Michael first puts up a bit of a bubble-like “forcefield” and allows a bottle to shatter over it in Alex’s backyard (and tasyfa is able to work in fragments from the bottle in a meaningful, romantic way). I also loved a scene with Kyle, in which he finally gets Michael to speak about the injury to his hand.

Perhaps some of the best scenes, though, concerned Alex’s relationship with his father and his sexuality. There was a really excellent exchange (Chapter 49) in which Jenna speaks to Alex about his relationship with Michael, and it incorporates an analogy using apples that speaks to the larger issues of homophobia that Alex had to face in his relationship with his father:

“Oh, come on. Look at the people who were here last night. Your oldest friend from the first day of school? Two more from elementary school. Almost everyone else was from high school, which was more than ten years ago, as you just pointed out. That is not a chosen family assembled by a guy who can't commit," she asserted.

"Well, yeah, but those are friendships, not romantic relationships. Apples and oranges."

"No, Captain," her headshake was vehement. "That's Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. Two varieties of apples and they both make good pie. Family."

"They're different for me," Alex disagreed.

"Because someone taught you one variety was rotten and you were too young to know it was a lie."

"You sound very sure of that," he was taken aback by how sure.

"Look, you're not the first gay soldier I've seen struggling to get out from underneath the horseshit their daddy piled on. Your father is an extreme case, and it's all extra complicated because of real live aliens and government conspiracies and God knows what else, but the bottom line is the same damn thing. He convinced you your Golden Delicious apples were really oranges and no good for pie. And he was wrong."

Tasyfa revisits this message during a conversation between Violet and Alex as well, in which Violet is very dismissive about Jesse Manes and his homophobic beliefs, having trouble believing that such hatred for Alex stems from Alex’s sexuality (Chapter 52):

Violet cocked her head. "Why does he hate you, Alex?"

No beating around the bush here, and Alex answered in the same vein, "Because I'm gay."

She stared at him for long minutes, brow furrowed in confusion, and finally asked, "That's it? Because you're gay?"

"That's been his problem since I was 13 years old, yes. I'm sure he's added more reasons over the years, but that's the foundation," Alex said mildly.

The way she snorted in disgust and rolled her eyes was eerily reminiscent of Isobel. "He's even stupider than I thought."

"That isn't a nice thing to say about your husband."

"If I had married him for love, perhaps."

"Fair enough." This ranked up there as one of the strangest conversations Alex had ever had. "Why did you marry him then?"

"Security. Stability. Continuance of life." She shook her head. "All that obsessive idiocy because one of his brood is gay. I thought it was a real reason."

Alex couldn't think of a response. To say that her dismissiveness and scorn for his father's opinion of Alex's sexuality was a shock to hear, didn't begin to cover it.

"This is a personal matter, this gayness. It has no place in a warrior's professional vocabulary," Violet sounded frustrated now as well as scornful. "Men don't get their balls out on the battlefield."

"No, they don't," Alex agreed, maintaining a calm façade when he wanted to burst out laughing. She seemed offended his father had mixed up the personal and the professional.

Like he'd broken some kind of warrior's code.

Again, if you have not read “TTVG,” it is well worth a read (or a listen)! Well-written, well-plotted, with fleshed out supporting characters and a great Michael and Alex romance at its core, as well as a really thoughtful take on some of the psychological aspects of these characters, and the impact of Alex’s relationship with his father.

AND THEN, tasyfa creates a WHOLE different universe in her “Spinning Circle of Flames” series. As I was preparing this post, I tried to think about what stood out to me the most about this series, and it was two things: 1) smut, and 2) world-building.

So, smut first, ha. The premise of this series is that Alex is a Canadian, ex-military musician, and Michael is a happy-go-lucky grad student. They meet at one of Alex’s shows and embark on an extremely intense sexual sub/dom relationship. Tasyfa does an incredible job fleshing out the power dynamics at work here, as well as detailing the conversations that must take place in a relationship like this. This is a topic I don’t know much about, and it honestly felt like an education, just reading this. Some of these scenes, too… my goodness. Sometimes smut can run together, but it doesn’t here. Like, this is a very detailed, thoughtful exploration of a sexual relationship between two complex people, and tasyfa handles it so well. It’s fascinating to see what she does with these familiar characters. Like, they are still Michael and Alex, but with different backgrounds, and thus somewhat different personalities and approaches to life.

I also love the attention to detail and worldbuilding that tasyfa includes in this story. The story is set in Toronto, and I think that the city is described so beautifully here. There’s a real sense of place. Like, I can practically taste the chocolate croissants she writes about, see the intimate Italian restaurant, hear the clatter of the public transit, see the little fairy lights in the bedroom. It’s so rich in these sensory details, and that really adds to this already-sensual story. Just very well-done. I also love what she’s done with the supporting characters! Isobel and Maria are in a relationship, and Kyle shows up as one of Alex’s past lovers (and I truly hope she gives us more background on that relationship in her sequel, because I loved Kyle and Michael’s exchanges and the reaction it provoked in Alex).

All this to say that tasyfa is an extremely talented and creative writer. I am always excited when I see a new work from her! So thank you, tasyfa, for creating such excellent works!

#authursday #tasyfa #fic recommendation #roswell nm #malex

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allisonswrittenwords · 5 years ago

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Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day!

Better late than never, being that it is Valentine’s Day weekend and all.

When I was trying to think of what I wanted to write about for Valentine’s Day, needing the obligatory holiday post and all, I thought about things I liked as a kid that represented love. Before Valentine’s Day parties at school, I was a kid who was home most days, watching cartoons and playing with my brother. One thing we enjoyed together as little kids was listening to Teddy Ruxpin tell us stories. Before we could read the books, we would look at the pictures while Teddy told the story. I had seven book-and-tape sets – there were so many more – 39 in the storybook series, as well as cassettes in the Answer Box and Picture Show) – and one of those sets was about love. Specifically, the love between a main character and a one-off character.

Grubby’s Romance is the seventh adventure book-and-tape set in The World of Teddy Ruxpin series. The story was also adapted into an episode the animated The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, which pulled its episodes directly from the cassette tape stories. That episode aired as the seventh episode of season one.

“A Most Unusual Experience”

I’ll take “Reviews of Allison’s Written Words for $500, Alex.”

I can make jokes, it’s my site!

Anyway, this story tells of the time that Teddy Ruxpin, Grubby, and Newton Gimmick had a most unusual experience, involving Gimmick’s newly invented “Portable Reducing Machine.” This more portable device operates much like Gimmick’s larger shrinking machine (using The First Crystal, Imagination, which helps shrink and grow the characters), but as the name says, is portable and can be taken along for a journey.

The trio is off to find clues about the other six crystals (Honesty, Trust, Bravery, Friendship, Freedom, and The Black Box) from The Hard to Find City to make it work properly, so they fire up the Airship and prepare to head off in search of those clues.

However, someone else is quite interested in their adventure: Tweeg. And he’s annoyed with Gimmick’s success as an inventor (man, Tweeg must be a terrible inventor!). And the arrival of Gimmick’s two new friends has caused some consternation with Tweeg, who finds them to be an interference.

He sends L.B. The Bounder to “get rid of” Teddy, Grubby, and Newton.

L.B., curious about the device sitting there out in the open, presses the red button on the Portable Reducing Machine, shrinking the trio – and the Airship – down to a very tiny size! Tweeg is thrilled about this, believing the trio to have disappeared.

Of course, the type of day to fly the Airship is perfect when it is normal size, but when it is super tiny and you’re contending with gale force winds, you’re going to run into some problems. Like a “leaf in the wind,” the group is blown into a forest, far away from Newton Gimmick’s home.

The group encounters The Snail, and after asking for his help in locating Newton’s house, decide to go with him to the Annual Spring Dance (he’s late, as usual). The Snail suggests asking the butterflies for help in locating home (the bees are too difficult to ask), and the group arrives at the dance.

Everyone in the forest was there, and that’s when Grubby spots her…

“I Get A Glimpse Of You Out of the Corner Of My Eye…”

Grubby sings a song about his encounter with the love at first sight, spotted from across the room, a Caterpillar named Karen. Despite his reservations about dancing with her, he does. For the next few days, he spends so much time about Karen, as Newton and Teddy figure out a way to get back home. Theirs is a love equated to the twinkle of an eye.

But as fast as they fall in love, Karen begins to behave strangely, building a shell around herself as Grubby watches with sadness. Karen can’t stop herself, and explains that she knows it is what she is supposed to do, and Grubby, beside himself with this, waits for days by the shell. Newton and Teddy discuss this, and Teddy realizes that Karen built a cocoon around herself, as she is a caterpillar and is about to become a butterfly.

By the time Teddy and Newton get to Grubby to tell him this fact, Karen has already emerged from her cocoon. And much to Grubby’s delight, she is something equally amazing to him.

A Beautiful Butterfly

Karen has become a beautiful butterfly during her time in her cocoon shell, and tells her new friends that she remembers The Snail saying that butterflies could lead the Airship home. With Karen and the other butterflies leading the way, the Airship travels back to Newton’s home, landing is successfully.

After landing and positioning itself the same way it was before it was shrunk to a very small size, Grubby asks Karen to push the green button on the Portable Reducing Machine, which restores the Airship and its occupants to normal size.

And thankfully, it works. Because most of Gimmick’s inventions don’t. Thank goodness he got this one right!

Goodbyes

Grubby knew it was only an accident that allowed him to be in Karen’s world, and with a tear in his eye, he says goodbye to his love, as she and the other butterflies fly away to fill the summer sky with beauty.

Of course, Tweeg is super unhappy with this turn of events. Which just means that Teddy, Grubby, and Newton are safe…for now.

You can listen to Honey, I Shrunk Teddy Ruxpin – er, Grubby’s Romance – as it was intended on Lost Bedtime Story Classics. This channel has a great and extensive (read: almost complete) collection of Teddy Ruxpin stories, among other treats.

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Upload via Lost Bedtime Story Classics

The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin

As I said, the story appears as an early episode of the television series, but has some extra scenes in the form of a secondary storyline to pad out the run time. The audio adventures run 16 minutes each, but the television series was 21 minutes without commercials.

The series was mostly serialized, but had connecting plots and story arcs within the same week, including the original stories as well as new stories developed for the television series, greatly expanding on the adventures the trio takes. The series aired for 65 episodes over two seasons between 1986 and 1987, ending when Worlds of Wonder faced financial difficulties (they later went into bankruptcy in 1988). Unfortunately, the show ended in a cliffhanger on October 23, 1987 due to this.

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The episode had its own videocassette release, which involved the use of the terrifying man-sized suit from the live action Teddy Ruxpin videos.

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Upload via redilliop

It’s nice to know the mouth moved on the suit, but man was this frightening!

Takeaways

I loved Teddy Ruxpin, and I don’t really have a personal preference as far as the stories went. I remember really liking Grubby’s Romance because of the Portable Shrinking Machine, since these plots in cartoons always seemed to fascinate me as a little kid. As an adult, it seems like no cartoon was complete without a main character facing down shrinking. It is kind of like how science fiction series always have a body switching episode.

Just remember friends, I couldn’t have cared less about the romantic plot line, I liked the shrinking plot line!

But this was a nice story, especially the song Grubby sings about falling in love! Grubby is an upbeat character, but he always had an Eeyore-sound to his voice, so you kind of rooted for him to fall in love. Even if it was accidental.

And Now, You!

Do you have a favorite story from the Teddy Ruxpin series, be it the cassettes or the cartoon? I’d love to know your favorite stories/plots, as well as your memories of Teddy Ruxpin.

In 2016, I wrote about the live action Teddy Ruxpin taking two kids on a trip to help them fall asleep, but I haven’t really done much with Teddy since then. I feel like I should – there’s so much to explore with the series, with YouTube having plenty to see and hear, probably more than many of us Teddy Ruxpin owners ever heard as kids.

I hope you had a nice Valentine’s Day, and may you feel the kind of love that Grubby felt, but hopefully not accidentally.

And hopefully, it isn’t “flighty.”

Have a great rest of the weekend!

(Accidental) Love is in the air for Grubby, when he, Teddy Ruxpin, and Newton Gimmick are accidentally shrunken and wind up in a village of bugs. Grubby falls in love with one of them. Is this a love that is meant to be? Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!

#ValentinesDay #Grubby #Love #Teddy Ruxpin #The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin #The World of Teddy Ruxpin #Worlds of Wonder

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puckyou-forpuckssake · 7 years ago

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North Star (3)—C. Parayko

Message me to request an imagine. Check my blog for master list or search for more in blog with #hockeyimagine. There are more parts to this!

“Were we fighting?” Colton asked one morning a month after the accident. You looked over your shoulder at him. He was staring at his cup of coffee and then up at you. He was wearing his glasses and god you loved that look on him that you wanted to pounce. You focused back on the pancakes in front of you instead of him.

“No,” you answered. “Why do you ask that?”

“You sleep in a different room. I know some couples do, but I can see where stuff used to be and no longer is. That normally signals a couple isn’t on good terms,” he pointed out. “So I was just wondering if you are being nice just because of what happened and then when I turn around you make this choking motions.”

You chuckled as he demonstrated angrily choking the air. You shook your head. “No we weren’t fighting. We’ve been great. We were slowly exiting the honeymoon phase since you were back into the season. I moved to one of the guest rooms because I wasn’t sure how you would deal with me in bed with you when you have no idea who I am.”

Colton frowned. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable in our home.”

Our home. Those words gave you hope. “And I you.”

Silence fell over you two as you finished up and played the pancakes. You could feel Colton’s eyes on you as you made his plate just how he likes it. “I think we should go out today,” he said suddenly.

“What?”

“I’ve been cooped up in this house for almost two weeks now, and you haven’t left much either. Let’s go out someplace. Maybe we can relax and get to know each other,” he paused. “Again.”

Once again, you were taken aback by what he said. You wanted to say that you were getting your Colton back, but the thing was, your Colton was staring straight back at you. The amnesia hadn’t changed him. He was still the man you loved. He just didn’t consciously remember you.

“That would be nice. You pick the place. Nothing is coming to mind to do in November.”

Colton thought for a minute. “Can I drive?” He asked. “Doc said at the last appointment that I could.” You reluctantly agreed, but maybe this would be good for him.

————————————————————

You watched Colton’s nose scrunch up to push his glasses up as he drove. You looked out the window to hide your smile. His little quirks like that one drove you crazy. You refrained from asking where you were heading. It was clear Colton knew where he was going.

“Here we go,” Colton smiled as he turned into a parking lot. “I’ve probably taken you here before.”

You smiled. The Missouri Botanical Garden. “You’ll always be a softie even if you can be a beast on the ice. I know how much you love enjoying the peace and quiet of the garden. It’s the opposite of the ice.”

Colton blushed a little before getting out of the car. There wasn’t much of crowd as it was November and a Tuesday. You were quiet as you walked through the gardens. “First date,” you blurted out.

Colton glanced at you confused.

“You took me here for our first date,” you explained. “I remember how proud you were to take me here, even though this is your secret haven. You told me that you’re wanted to share this part of your life with me more than anyone you knew. I know that was when I realized you are something really special to me.”

Colton nodded. Maybe it was you telling him such an intimate moment between you two that he couldn’t remember was the reason his cheeks were as red as Nolan Patrick’s and wore a goofy grin.

“How did we meet? I remember when I first woke up those words I said to you you mentioned were the ones I told you when we first meet. So is our life a rom-com?”

You snorted. “Our life is certainly not a rom-com; however, it is starting to feel like a cheesy romance. I wish I could tell you we met in some cute way, but we didn’t. I met you at work.”

“My work or your work? Please be my work.”

You chuckled at the fear in his face. You started back to work a week ago after being on leave to take care of Colton until he was more comfortable. It was a perk of never taking off work normally.

“Mine,” His rosey cheeks stayed. “You act like I do such a scary thing.”

“Because you do!” Colton exclaimed. “I must’ve made a fool of myself.”

“Mark thought it was funny.”

“Mark would’ve been like 8 or 9 at the time. Of course he thought it was funny.”

You were an elementary school teacher and at one point taught where Mark went to school before switching to teach at a school in Creve Coeur. You met the Tarasenkos months before Colton as you were Mark’s third grade teacher and new to the area. Mark always told you in class that you would like his dad’s friend Colton. You always just nodded along. Then when you decided to hold a science fair for your class, Mark forced you to meet Colton as he was the one carrying Mark’s solar system project. He tripped and broke it, but no one seemed to really care.

“So how did we get from there to here?” Colton asked after you explained. “You said that we got married like four months ago and got together two years prior.”

“You remember a lot of things I say.”

Colton shrugged. “You’re my guide to normality. Alex and Vlad don’t know what I need to know about us. About me. You do.”

You wanted to kiss him so badly. You wanted to grab his hand and tell him your news that won’t be hidden much longer. But you knew Colton wouldn’t be able to handle that right now.

“A couple weeks after the science fair, I went to a Blues game with some visiting friends who were big hockey nuts. At the game we ran into Yana and Mark. Jayne was with them too. They forced me down to meet the team after the game.”

“Forced you?” Colton chuckled.

You nodded. “My friends went very willingly but Yana dragged me down there saying you would be happy to see me. Jayne was completely on board. I noticed you before I noticed the smell in the locker room. You’re hard to miss. That night a make-a-wish kid was there. She was five. She walked in that night wearing an Allen jersey but left with you as her favorite player. You were completely wrapped around her finger. I just stared at you. It was honestly probably borderline creepy. You didn’t acknowledge me until Jake took her to try on his pads. It was that moment when you looked up and saw me staring that we both knew we were screwed. A week later we were walking around here, talking like we are now. You proposed to me during dinner at home.

“We were just discussing our day as we ate and you just blurted it out. ‘Marry me’. You then profusely apologized saying that wasn’t how you wanted it to go and you had just bought the ring hours before. You rambled on about how perfect you wanted it to be. I kissed you so you could shut up. We got married here four months ago.”

You had noticed that during your tale Colton had grabbed your hand. He was smiling too. “I’d call that a love story. It feels...right. Does that make sense? Like deep down I can feel it.”

You nodded.

Colton squeezed your hand and stopped you under an arch of flowers. He didn’t know, consciously, that this was the spot that you said “I do” at. “You’re guiding me home, Y/N. I promise you that we will be together again.”

“We are together, Colton.”

He surprised you when he gently kissed your forehead. “Till death do us part.”

#colton parayko #colton parayko imagine #st louis blues #st louis blues imagine #north star #hockey #nhl #hockey imagines #nhl imagines #imagine

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airsafariblog-blog · 6 years ago

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Gold Rush Legacy & A Small Airplane, Summer 2017, Part I

It was not love at first sight. She was standing on the short cut grass in front of a one-story building and you could tell that she had been wandering the wild of the Canadian North for a very long time. I did not find much enthusiasm in her look at me either. And yet, toward the end of our two week romance, I called her Princess with all the passion of my heart.

She was a Cessna 172, born in 1975. The paint was peeling off at places I did not even know existed on an airplane. But, as many bush pilots would be quick to point out-paint is only an added weight that keeps you from pushing more useful stuff, like fuel, food or game, to the inside (or sometimes on the outside of, for that matter) of an airplane. What was lacking on the exterior was surely not made up for in the interior of the plane. To say her cabin was “ragged” would do a gross injustice to the term. Yet, what is vital for flying machine in the Canadian wilderness? The way it flies. And fly she did! Her aerial performance was impeccable. The propeller was squeaky clean, not even the tiniest chip, her climbing was fervent, mightily sucking on the air and, as I was later to find out, she was exceptionally humble when it came to drinking gasoline and oil. Princess was simply a marvel to fly and care for.

Before I was given a chance to explore her fine features, I had to get past Eric, her proud owner and devour guardian (hence the name of Eric’s flying outfit - Guardian Angel). I arrived exhausted in Prince George, where Eric’s office was located, after some thirty hours of travel, shortly before midnight. The trip from Europe reminded me a lot of the famous opening scene of the Dead Man motion picture by Jim Jarmusch.

Johnny Depp is heading West while observing in amazement how the nature of his fellow travelers transforms the further West he gets.

The flight from Munich to Toronto was filled with travelers carrying their flawless four-wheeled carry-ons, bags full of ethereal souvenirs, stunning fragrances and fashionable spirits, chatting delightfully on the board of a jazzy jet Boeing 777-300ER. People on the board of the less flashy Airbus A321 from Toronto to Vancouver seemed to be more down to Earth. The last leg from Vancouver to Prince George was to be flown over the jagged Pacific Coast Mountains by an eager turboprop Bombardier Q400. Climbing onboard I was bewildered by the composure and dignity that beamed through the coarseness of my new journey fellows.

Our approach to Prince George began with a gentle dive into the clouds just as the sun began to sink beyond the horizon - an amazing sight. Before that, I had a nice chat with a girl sitting next to me. It was all about bears, wildlife, First Nation, the sparse yet sufficient pub landscape in Prince George, rising homelessness and drug abuse and we were both taken aback by the beauty of the sunset.

Alas, my mind was not really there. It was deeply immersed in the thoughts about the undertaking that I had been dreaming about for the past three years and that seemed even more impossible now when it was about to begin. My original fancy was to rent a small airplane and to fly through Alaska. After quite some time it proved to be a no go. No one in Alaska was willing to let their precious machines being flown over some of the least hospitable and unforgiving places in the world, especially by some flat-landed European with zero mountain flying experience. It was nothing short of a miracle when we found our Guardian Angel, Eric’s flight school, operating out of Vanderhoof and Prince George (British Columbia) who actually considered lending us a Cessna, albeit “only” for flying in the Canadian, not the Alaskan, great wild.

In the months leading up to July 2017, I read all possible bush-flying and mountain-flying material I could find. I spent hours, days really, watching training videos and searching for the right articles. All these efforts helped me realize that mountain flying might be extremely rewarding, but you better stay away from it unless you have a lot of experience under your belt, which I did not.

Let us hear an expert here. Fletcher Anderson wrote one of the most comprehensive books on the subject (Flying the Mountains, McGraw-Hill Education): “Even on the very best of days, it involves considerably more than just normal flying over exceptionally scenic terrain. The aircraft’s engine develops only a fraction of its rated horsepower at high altitude...because the air is thinner, the wing needs greater true airspeed to develop adequate lift. The pilot may also suffer from lack of available oxygen at altitudes lower than required to clear the mountains. Steep and high terrain is hard to fly over. Weather conditions, which exceeded the operating capabilities of most small aircrafts are frequent, normal occurrences, and weather can change dramatically in minutes. In addition to mountains, Alaska has the obvious extremes of vast distances and poor weather from the nearby oceans and no roads (therefore, a small airplane is 40 per cent more likely to crash in the mountains than anywhere else). According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the aviation death rate in mountain states is twice that of the nation as a whole”.

What a chipper fellow.

Upon landing in Prince George, the cabin was filled with the smell of smoke from the distance wildfires across British Columbia - an eerie feeling. The city itself is a legacy of the sparse web of centuries-old trading posts of the North-West Company throughout the big northern void. Originally inhabited by First National people, proudly calling themselves “people of the confluence of two rivers” (Fraser and Nechako rivers, to be exact), Prince George of today is more of a confluence of roads connecting South British Columbia with North, Yukon and Alaska. Lonely Planet’s account of the city is not overwhelming flattering: “The downtown, no beauty-contest winner, is compact and has some good restaurants”. You also might want to know that there is a large paper mill that generates a very particular smell, which gives Prince George away for miles and miles. The smell is a neat aviation navigation beacon, as I was to learn the following year when flying through the dense wildfire smoke. I fell in love with the city instantly nevertheless.

Eric greeted me at the small and tasteful terminal building of Prince George airport. I thought I might simply go to bed as it was close to midnight and I just flew halfway around the world. Well, I was wrong. Eric was in full swing and after being done with my car rental we headed to his office at the airport to do the proper paperwork before mountain flying training and rental checkout procedures could start the next morning.

After I finally arrived at the Downtown Motel it was almost two in the morning. The motel did not try to conceal the fact that it is an affordable place to stay at. There was still quite a number of people hanging and wandering around the neighborhood with no apparent purpose, direction or place to stay. This was yet another signature feature of Prince George. In the next morning the next day, I got myself a large cup of cheap coffee at a gas station and was ready to get back to the airport.

At Eric’s office, we started a very thorough ground training just as two helicopters lifted off from a helipad nearby. “It’s all over the radio. There is a small plane missing, that is what they are after”, uttered Eric laconically. Those books on mountain flying were not lying, apparently. You can get into trouble around here.

No wonder my learning attention - which is usually not the strongest of my skills, whatever they may be - was laser-focused on every single word Eric shared with me.

How to cross the mountain range safely, how to turn in a tight canyon, how to do an emergency landed where there is no emergency landing spot available, how to read wind direction from the aspen trees and lakes, how the eagle never dodges in the air for it is you who needs to make the move, how to avoid prop strike on soft and gravel airstrips or how the weather changes in ways you can never predict.

In the afternoon, we took to the skies with one of Eric’s instructors. The first checkout flight was a rather serene affair - slow flights, steep turns, stalls, the usual stuff.

Later that same day I was assigned another instructor - Alex, a cheerful character and a splendid pilot. We started working on my navigation skills and emergency landing procedures. I truly was not at my peak, owing this slightly to the jetlag and to the fact that I was flying in a completely foreign environment, but I muddled through. Over Fraser Lake, we had a conversation about the First Nation people in Canada, specifically around Prince George, which was when I first gave a deeper thought to their touching fate. Not that I had much time for these contemplations because Alex made me start training spins.

A spin is essentially a stall that results in a downward autorotation of the airplane usually when a pilot does not heed attention to the aircraft speed or bank angle (or, usually, both).

To be able to recover from a spin is a crucial skill, even though one usually occurs during the initial or final phase of the flight when the airplane is slow and low and there is only limited, if any, space and time for a successful recovery.

With Alex, we were flying high above the lake and our Cessna just refused to spin, so good an aerodynamic little airplane it is. Or, let me put it more correctly - I was unable to spine her. Thus, Alex took the helm and pitched her high, banked a hard right and kicked in enough of the left rudder and with an excited exclamation “spin, bitch, spin”, she reluctantly did what was asked of her. After that, I was also able to make her spin and recover, and with the jetlag still hanging around, I started to feel a bit dizzy.

Yet, the training was far from over. Here comes the “graveyard spiral” part. Its name does not imply anything friendly - and it is not. A graveyard spiral is a dive that happens usually in bad visibility or at night when the pilot becomes disoriented and cannot see the horizon. Sadly, plenty of graveyard spirals are concluded with the airplane hitting the ground at a very high-speed with a very fatal outcome. What happens is that without the outside horizontal reference the pilot does not realize the airplane is banking and descending at the same time and pulls on the yoke in order to arrest the descent which only tightens the turn and, subsequently, the descent. We do not have to go into the details here, suffice to stay that the lesson is - always trust your instruments, not your gut feeling about your attitude and - more importantly - don’t ever get into a position that you have to deal with meteorological or visibility conditions that are beyond your abilities, training or rating. A year later, not too far from the very same spot we had trained to recover from the “graveyard spiral” I was to learn both of these points the hard way in the middle of choking and deliberating wildfire smoke. But we will get to that much, much later.

What to look for in Part II?

Eric makes me turn in a tight canyon without looking outside the airplane. How to land on a logging trail in the wild. My crew arrives - how to stuff three adults and tons of equipment into a small airplane and still expect it to fly? First night in the North - Dease Lake, sea-plane trip at Atlin Lake. The madness of the Gold Rush.

#adenvture #airsafari #travel #flying #canada #wild #aviation #thrill #theworld

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